Midnight Snacks
by Tinselcat
Summary: Well, Here it is again, the abridged version of Midnight Snacks. The naughty parts have been omitted. SLASH! DonnieOriginal char. Donnie is abducted by a bloodsucker who takes a liking to him. Chaos ensues. mature readers: see author's note about unabridg
1. Default Chapter

Midnight Snacks: Chapter 1:  
  
By: Tinselcat  
  
Rated: R  
  
Disclaimer: All characters except for Angelo, Kali and Claude are creations and property of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird and are used without permission. Angelo, Kali and Claude are my own creations.  
  
Author's Note: I've been meaning to stick this back up on ff.net for ages now, and here it is! It's been abridged for content so to fit with rating restrictions. Basically, I've edited out the naughty parts. If you're old enough and mature enough to handle reading about sexual situations between two consenting males, be my guest and read the unabridged version on my website (under 'TC Fic Files). You'll also find Midnight Snacks-related fanart at my website in the 'Overt Originality' section of 'TC Art Files () and a couple related pics in Kyabetsu's art section. Remember to read responsibly! Enjoy!  
  
***********************  
  
  
Angelo crouched on the building-top, silently surveying the scene in the dark alleyway below him. He had to grudgingly admit that he was impressed with their abilities. Their size and shape misled one into assuming they were slow, when in fact they moved with speed, even grace. Their footfalls were light and silent, they only made the slightest sounds as they fought. Four of them, possessing some kind of connection, if nothing more than their bizarre appearance.  
  
Angelo could only wonder what exactly they were. Demons? No, he had certainly met enough of those in his time. these creatures may look strange, but they certainly weren't supernatural. What than? Scientific experiments gone wrong? Perhaps. Horribly deformed human beings? Naaaaaaah. Hm. A mystery, that's for sure.  
  
As he observed, the four.things.. Triumphed over the six dealers, nine guns in all. Not bad, for mortals. Not bad at all. Keeping to the shadows, the creatures silently exited the alley, leaving no trace of their passing but for six unconscious men. They continued down the dark street.  
  
Angelo followed, hopping lightly from building to building. He followed them toward the sound of scuffling and muffled cries down the street. Once again perching himself on the edge of the building above, he settled to watch the show. About twenty guys, taking out a pawn shop. The two owners -an innocent-looking elderly couple, no less- were being roughly held on the street and told to shut up, bats and other blunt and sharp objects being waved In their direction. The four things came upon them as silently and unexpectedly as death.  
  
There was hardly a whisper of a wind, and Angelo knew she was there. "Clear night." He stated simply, not needing to turn to glance at her.  
  
"They intrigue you." it was a statement, not a question. Angelo often had to wonder if the only reason she stated anything aloud at all was to ease one's nervousness around her. Doubtful.  
  
"Yes." He answered to the non-question.  
  
"Tell me why."  
  
"I believe you know why, ancient one."  
  
she was silent. He looked over at her. Her dark eyes never left the scene of the fight before them.  
  
Angelo sighed. "They are neither man nor beast, but something strange, something in between. They are not like us, but. they move like we do. Only they do it from practice, not instinct. Surprising creatures, to say the least. I've never seen anything quite like them."  
  
"And that one?" she made no gesture to indicate the one she spoke of. She didn't need to.  
  
"Oh, him. I suppose he does attract my attention more than the others. Assuming it is a he. The battle is in it's head, but not it's heart. It doesn't ever completely let go of it's rational mind, hanging onto where it's strength lies, where it feels most comfortable, where it believes in itself the most."  
  
"You've watched them for two nights."  
  
"Third night's the charm." he turned toward her and winked.  
  
For the first time that night, she looked at him. The hint of a smile touched her eyes, even as her smooth face remained emotionless.  
  
He turned away from her, and with the retreating scent of faint incense, he knew she was gone.  
  
The creatures were retreating once more, at the sound of sirens. The elderly couple simply stood, clutching at each other, staring around them at the unconscious bodies, wondering if it was time for a new arthritis medication.  
  
Angelo's eyes were fixed on the odd, rounded backs of the retreating party. He licked his lips, wondering what their blood tasted like.  
  
*********  
  
  
  
Donatello unsuccessfully attempted to block out the rantings of  
his brothers as he zeroed in on the computer screen in front of him.  
  
"Look, I'm not jumping to any conclusions, it's just that I've  
been getting this funny feeling lately when we go out at night,"  
  
" Leo, if we gotta stop for all of your 'funny feelings'."  
  
"I'm serious about this, Raph. I feel like we're being watched."  
  
"Oh, so now you're bossy and paranoid. Wonderful."  
  
"Look, you don't have to be so narrow-minded."  
  
"Well, you don't have to be so tense. Or maybe you just want to  
impress master splinter with your 'heightened senses', is that it?"  
  
"You are so full of it, Raph!"  
  
"Takes one to know one!"  
  
Donnie massaged his temples. Nope, no work getting done tonight,  
that's for damn sure.  
  
Mikey wandered in, munching on potato chips. He offered the bag to  
Donnie, who miserably waved it away. Mikey shrugged and leaned against  
the table. "You wanna blow this joint?" he asked, spraying potato  
fragments all over Donnie's keyboard.  
  
"Ah, what the hell" he said, attempting to brush off some of the  
offending fragments. He curled his lip, but rose, putting the keyboard  
aside.  
  
"Hey, where do you two think you're going?" asked Leo, as Donnie and  
Mikey grabbed their masks and weapons.  
  
"To escape you two, of course. If you can't control your tempers, we  
certainly don't want to hang around." Donnie stepped around Leo as he  
tied on his mask.  
  
"Hey, but you can't just-"  
  
"What's wrong, leo, unhappy because they won't let you go first?"  
  
"Why don't you stay out of it, huh? You can just zone out in front of  
that stupid TV all you want."  
  
"Oh, so that's all I'm good for, huh?"  
  
"Well, you certainly haven't shown much potential for anything else."  
  
Donnie and Mikey slipped out without further obstacles.  
  
Donnie kept up with Mikey with ease, the two turtles slipping with  
practiced ease from shadow to shadow, among the trees of central park.  
Donnie secretly wished that, if there were crimes being committed in  
the city this night (which there undoubtedly were), himself and his  
brother would not encounter them. he enjoyed the simple silence that  
reigned over central park at night. As he and Mikey paused beneath a  
tree, he closed his eyes momentarily, feeling as if he were absorbing  
the very night through his skin. He felt a hand on his plastron. He  
opened his eyes. Mikey was tense, looking into another section of the  
park, almost entirely in shadow.  
  
"I think I hear something." He whispered, "I'm gonna go check it out.  
You hang here, I'll call you if it's anything serious."  
  
Donnie simply leaned against the tree and watched the retreating form  
of his brother, until his shell disappeared into the shadows. Donnie  
stared up at the sky. Nothing like peace and quiet.  
  
A slight movement suddenly caught the corner of his eye. He  
straightened and tensed, squinting into the shadow of another tree,  
across the nearest path from him. It remained still as stone. He  
chided himself for giving in to the nighttime's optical tricks. He  
then saw it again, as if the shadow itself had suddenly become  
sentient, and moved slightly as if it pondered its next action. Donnie  
went into a crouch and kept his eyes on the shadow. It moved again, or  
rather, something that was damn good at blending in with the shadows.  
He removed his bo staff from the sheath on his back and gripped it in  
front of him.  
  
He blinked and suddenly the shadow was dashing toward him, silent as  
snow, but at an impossible speed. Startled, Donnie straightened, and  
pushed his back against the tree trunk, as the thing loomed in front  
of him. His bow staff was wrenched from his hands, and was suddenly  
embedded a foot into another nearby tree. Donnie, suddenly frozen and  
speechless, blinked once and suddenly found his mask on the ground at  
his feet. He couldn't even recall the brush of a hand. He was aware of  
the thing, humanoid thing, something in a long black cloak, with the  
cowl pulled over the head, bending down to stare into his eyes. He  
could just see the faintest glow emitting from inside the hood, cold  
breath brushed his face. His heart dropped into his stomach. The scent  
of, of all things, roses entered his nostrils. Before any movement by  
the stranger was detectable, a sharp pain lanced through his throat.  
He made a strangled sound in disgust, as he realized this person's  
mouth was attached to his neck. The pain seemed to jolt him out of his  
stupor, and he struggled against his assailant. Arms, strong arms,  
wrapped around him, lifting him off the ground. The thing was sucking  
on his blood! He struggled once more, kicking his legs. He observed,  
as if through an ever-thickening veil, the treetops disappear behind  
the shoulder of his attacker. The city lights dominated his vision,  
and they too began to fall away. He heard a faint cry from the ground  
below him, and the only thing he could think was, how the hell is  
Mikey going to explain this one? The creature holding him gave a  
contented sigh. It was the last thing Donnie heard before his world  
became black.  
  
********  
  
Donnie woke up. He kept his eyes closed, unwilling to face the  
morning. Something was strange. what was it? hm.. Maybe it was that  
weight pressing down on his chest, making it slightly more difficult  
to breathe. Yeah, that was probably it. But. *sniff*. why the hell did  
his sheets smell like roses? And.. He was all sprawled out, so why the  
hell weren't his legs hanging off of his bed onto the floor. That was  
certainly a mystery. He let that thought settle into his head, another  
intriguing puzzle to solve today. yup. That's what it was. Wonder if  
the rest of the guys are up yet..  
  
OMIGOD!!!  
  
His eyes shot open, and he screamed openly at the face mere inches  
from his own. He shot into a sitting position, the person who had been  
perching on his plastron, staring into his face lightly sailed through  
the air to land on the arm of a chair, and remain crouched there. He  
placed a hand over his heart to keep it from beating right through his  
chest. He looked frantically around him. He was in a bedroom, the  
decor was mostly a warm cream with dark green accents. He was sitting  
on a king-sized bed, which swayed oddly. He realized it was a  
waterbed. Opposite the bed, French doors opened onto a balcony, the  
curtains swaying in the morning breeze, sunlight streaming though the  
open windows. He looked at the thing that had been crouching on his  
chest, and came to the realization of a million questions.  
  
Returning his stare, curiously, head cocked slightly to one side, was  
a little girl. Her skin was gold and copper combined and brushed to an  
almost pearlescent sheen. Her hair was so dark a brown as to be almost  
black and it tumbled down her back like a shining cape. Her eyes were  
darker than her hair, and looking into them he got the distinct  
impression of a thousand secrets dancing within their depths.  
  
"Well, look who's finally awake! Good morning, sunshine!" coming  
around the corner of a counter which divided the bedroom from the  
kitchen, (the bedroom connects to the kitchen?), was a tall man, who  
looked to be anywhere between sixteen and thirty years old. His skin  
was fair, and blonde, slightly curly hair was drawn from his face in a  
ponytail, which didn't prevent some locks from brushing his face. A  
slight mustache and goatee graced the bottom of his face. His eyes  
were ice blue, and seemed to glitter with their own humor. He stepped  
down from the raised area that was the kitchen, and approached  
Donatello, who had the look of a panicky cat.  
  
"wh-who the hell are you? what the hell is going on here? Where am I?"  
  
"Take it easy, you had a rough night. Lemonade?"  
  
Donatello looked at the proffered glass of lemonade as if he expected  
demons to leap from it at any moment.  
  
"Suit yourself, but you really ought to have some liquids, and get  
your blood sugar back up. Maybe some orange juice?"  
  
"Look, I don't know who you are, or what you want, but I'm not hanging  
around here to find out, it's been real." He jumped out of bed, and  
began a dash toward the open French doors, when a sudden wave of  
dizziness overcame him. His vision blurred, and he staggered  
backwards. Just before falling, he felt those familiar arms around  
him, lifting him gently and depositing him back in bed.  
  
"You know, most people don't try to do any heavy exercising after  
losing a lot of blood. It's not a very smart thing to do." The guy  
settled himself, cross-legged, on the bed next to Donatello, who  
stared up at him, nervously.  
  
"What." was all he could whisper.  
  
"Alright, you just calm down and I'll explain. My name is Angelo. I'm  
about four hundred and fifty years old, give or take a few. I'm  
currently working as a free-lance journalist and photographer, maybe  
you've read my stuff in the New Yorker," he took a moment to preen,  
"anyway, I'm the one who consumed some of that deliciously exotic  
blood of yours last night, and I brought you here."  
  
"Four hundred and fifty years old?"  
  
"Give or take a few."  
  
"B-blood?"  
  
"Delicious and nutritious, doesn't taste like chicken."  
  
"Vampires don't exist."  
  
"I beg to differ."  
  
"Why did you bring me here?"  
  
Angelo leaned down until his face was half an inch from donnie's,  
"because I like you." he pecked donnie lightly on his beak.  
  
Donnie squeaked in surprise, and was dismayed as he realized, from the  
heat in his face, he was blushing. Attempting to divert the strange  
guy's attentions, donnie looked toward the child who, through all of  
this, simply rested silently, observing the events as they occured.  
"Who's that? Your daughter?"  
  
"No, not really. Kind of the other way around, she's more like my  
mother."  
  
"What?"  
  
Angelo hopped lightly from the bed, stationed himself beside the girl,  
and took a sweeping bow in her direction, "let me introduce mistress  
kali, one of the most ancient and mysterious members of our noble  
race."  
  
Even as he was faced with the impossible, Donnie's rational,  
scientific mind scrambled for a fact to hold on to, "Kali. Kali. a  
hindu goddess of destruction, Shiva's female counterpart, if I recall  
correctly."  
  
"oh, don't flatter the old girl. She chose the name for herself." He  
then spoke in an exaggerated, conspiratorial whisper, "no one knows  
her real name."  
  
"I have no real name." They were the first words Donnie herd from her,  
and he wasn't at all sure he had seen her mouth move. Her voice was  
light and high, the voice of a little girl, but it had tones and  
depths that no child had. The phrase itself had had a complete absence  
of emotion, as if it were the dead speaking though the mouth of the  
young.  
  
Donnie fell back and closed his eyes. This was not happening. He was  
dreaming, he was really in the sewer, in his bed, waking slowly up to  
the sound of Mikey singing in Italian. he opened his eyes. The smart-  
ass blonde guy and the kid stared back at him. Shit, he was really in  
trouble.  
  
Something struck him as distinctly odd. what a surprise. he though  
gloomily, but something still nagged at him. He finally realized what  
it was.  
  
With a triumphant crow, he sat up and pointed an accusatory finger at  
the two people facing him, "you two can't be vampires! You're walking  
around in the sunlight! Vampires can't do that!" he felt excitement  
run through him, as the hope that these two were human after all  
welled up.  
  
"Oh, that." Angelo said. He jumped up lightly and with a whump landed  
on Donnie, knocking him back down. Angelo straddled the startled  
turtle's middle, causing his chagrined captive to blush once again.  
"y'see, it's like this: originally, yeah, we vampires definitely  
couldn't stand the sunlight. You take one step into the sun, and BAM!!  
You're toast. Burnt meat. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, you get the  
idea. Of course, that was back when we didn't need to walk around in  
the sunlight. We were feared and believed in, and respected" he  
brought his palm down hard, slapping the pillow next to Donnie's head,  
causing him to jump, "there were victims galore, and no one thought  
much if a lonely wayfarer went missing, these were dangerous times.  
"and then along came the renaissance. People started investigating  
things, they started thinking about things, instead of taking  
everything on faith. Science flourished, and the likes of Copernicus  
and Galileo were on a roll. Old Copernicus was kind of a nut, though"  
Angelo paused to stare at the ceiling and stroke his chin. He turned  
back to Donnie, "anyway, people wouldn't just accept that there were  
blood-sucking immortals walking around, they needed proof. From that  
point on, vampires needed to live differently. We were immortals, of  
untold strength, but it just wasn't safe to be creatures of the night  
anymore. So, those of us who were strong and powerful enough, adapted.  
Evolved. Saw the light. Whatever. Those who weren't strong or powerful  
enough, well," he shrugged, "they wouldn't have fared well in this day  
and age anyway.  
  
"You see, if one of us walks down a darkened street, cloak billowing,  
face pale, any passer-by will only look at us and see some drugged-out  
teenager with false pretenses of self-importance and in desperate need  
of a social life."  
  
"So you adapted." repeated Donnie  
  
"Yeah. You're average vampire today is you're average co-worker or  
friend, or guy on the street. It's not so bad. I'm not saying I don't  
miss the old dark ages, but this day and age certainly has its merits.  
How else could I express myself creatively?" he preened again.  
  
"So, what do you want with me?"  
  
Angelo leaned down, until his lips brushed a very embarrassed  
Donnie's. His whisper was husky and seductive, "I told you, I like  
you. And your blood is just." he trailed off. He suddenly pressed his  
lips to the base of Donnie's throat and ran his tongue up Donnie's  
neck and under his chin.  
  
Donnie felt butterflies in his stomach.  
  
Angelo planted his elbows on Donnie's chest plates and asked in a  
conversational tone, "so, what about you? Are you a boy or a girl?"  
  
"Am I a bo. guh. uh." donnie sputtered indignantly.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"I'm a boy!" Donnie yelled, insulted, "can't you tell?!"  
  
"Not really," said Angelo defensively, "I don't know what species you  
are, or what defines your gender." He suddenly smiled, in a very  
predatory fashion, "of course," he slid down Donnie's body, and placed  
a palm on the nervous turtle's inner thigh, slowly running it upwards,  
"I could have found out for myself." his hand slid underneath Donnie's  
plastron. Donnie's eyes bulged as he gripped the bed sheets underneath  
him. "Yup, definitely male." Angelo snickered.  
  
"wh.wh.what do you think you're doing?" Donnie stuttered, as a thrill  
ran up his spine and back down again, lancing into his groin. His  
entire body stiffened and he gripped the sheets beneath his hands as  
if they were the only things keeping him from giving in entirely to  
this sexual being.  
  
"Isn't it obvious?"  
  
"But. but. I hardly know you!" his voice cracked with his lame remark.  
  
Angelo's hand stopped stroking, and he looked quizzically into  
Donnie's face. He then abruptly burst out laughing. He pulled his hand  
out, and Donnie's innards turned to jello. He snorted loudly and  
pulled himself back up until he was once again level with Donnie.  
Still smiling, he took Donnie's head in his hands and kissed him full  
on the mouth, ending the contact with a loud smack!  
  
Donnie squeaked lightly and felt like pounding his head against a wall  
as he felt the blood, once again, rush to his cheeks.  
  
"you're cute when you're embarrassed."  
  
"oh, thank you for informing me, I feel so special now, that's just  
what I needed to hear." Donnie replied sarcastically.  
  
Angelo shifted once again, so he was straddling the turtle just above  
the ribs. He reached up and pulled one of Donnie's arms toward him. He  
planted both hands on the forearm muscle and slowly began kneading the  
tension out of it. "So, what the hell are you anyway? I know you're  
not human. are you some sort of turtle?"  
  
Donnie suppressed the urge to groan at the feel of the pent-up tension  
he wasn't even aware of flowing out of him, as the strange vampire  
worked his way up Donnie's muscular arm. "Yeah." He managed, "I'm a-"  
he inhaled sharply as Angelo's hands prodded his particularly knotted  
bicep, "a. ah. turtle. There was this. uh" the edges of his vision  
blurred and he found it hard to focus on the question as his upper  
body was slowly massaged into oblivion, "this. this stuff that mutates  
genes and. uh. and. and apparently alters genotypes as well as  
phenotypes because we. me and. well, we have human intelligence."  
  
Angelo nodded. Donnie looked up at him, and was impressed at how he  
moved. His entire body seemed to be engaged in the act of massaging  
Donnie's aching muscles, each singular movement he made, affected the  
rest of his body, so that his entire body was occupied with the  
kneading motion. In a strange way, Donnie reflected, he made this seem  
sensual.  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Huh?" the question caught donnie by surprise and snapped him out of  
his reverie.  
  
"Your name?"  
  
"Oh. that, it's, uh." he blinked, trying to remember, as Angelo  
shifted to begin on his legs, "it's. don."  
  
"don?" Angelo looked up from Donnie's calves.  
  
". atello. don. atello. Donatello." Donnie found it quite a relief to  
finally get the entire word out.  
  
"Are you Italian or something?"  
  
"Italian? No."  
  
"Than why-"  
  
"Uh, it's a long story."  
  
"you must indulge me sometime."  
  
"mm hmmmm." Donnie's eyelids began to get heavy.  
  
"Close your eyes."  
  
"yuh. you can't. you can't tell me what to. to do." Donnie attempted  
to protest, but found his eyes shutting obediently. It seemed to make  
a world of difference.  
  
"Sleep. Recover some of that blood of yours. I just know Kali's going  
to want to try some."  
  
For some strange reason, Donnie found that this last remark didn't  
bother him. So what if she wanted to try? He certainly wasn't in a  
position to stop her.  
  
With that resigned thought resting in his head, he drifted off to  
sleep.  
  
****  
  
The sound of April's footsteps bounced back and forth ominously on the  
metal and concrete walls of the tunnel passage she followed. Her mind  
was too preoccupied, however, to mind the lonely sound of her high  
heels on trash and sludge. She didn't even notice that she was ruining  
one of her best suits. Her feet took her down the dark, but familiar  
passage, every turn and landmark etched into her mind from numerous  
trips into the labyrinth beneath New York that was its sewer system.  
  
The sound of footsteps other than her own reached her ears, and a  
stocky figure barreled around the next corner. The large turtle very  
nearly collided with her. She skidded to a stop, nearly overbalanced,  
and caught herself.  
  
"April,"  
  
Although it was dark, she knew the voice well, "Leo, what's going on?  
Why didn't you want to talk about it on the phone? Is everything  
alright?"  
  
Leo, out of a protective instinct, though he knew well the savvy  
reporter knew how to take care of herself, took her hand anyways and  
led her down the passage, "Donnie's missing."  
  
"What? What do you mean, missing? Do you have any leads? What's-"  
  
"We'll fill you in back at the den. We need your help on this one,  
because we're at a complete loss."  
  
"I-I'll do whatever I can." She said, and meant it.  
  
Leonardo led her into their underground home. In the living room,  
Splinter was seated sedately on the sofa, Mikey seated next to him,  
his elbows on his thighs and his face in his hands. One of his knees  
bounced up and down nervously. Raph, seated on one of the arms of the  
sofa, stared at it, obviously on the edge of throwing himself upon his  
agitated brother in order to make the damn thing stop.  
  
Mikey raised his head as she came in. his eyes were red, and it was  
obvious he'd been crying.  
  
"Mikey." april instinctively went over to him, sat beside him and put  
an arm around his shoulders. He rubbed his eyes and took a deep  
breath.  
  
"Mikey, could you tell April what you told us? About last night?"  
  
Mikey nodded. He nervously stood up and began pacing, which April had  
never before seen the normally laid-back turtle do. "Uh. okay, y'see,  
Donnie and I went out last night by ourselves because Leo and Raph  
were arguing again."  
  
Leo guiltily looked downward, while Raph got up and walked into  
another room.  
  
"Well, we headed into central park. We were standing beneath this one  
tree. It was pretty dark. I. I heard a sound, and went to investigate  
it. I left Donnie. I left him by the tree." Mikey's shoulders began  
shaking violently, "I swear, if I had thought he might have been in  
any danger.I-if I'd only known. but I couldn't! I-I had no idea! I."  
his eyes teared and he seemed on the verge of what would obviously be  
the second breakdown in 24 hours.  
  
Leo was immediately at his side, putting a comforting hand on his  
shoulder, "hey, it's alright. We all know that you wouldn't have left  
him if you'd sensed anything out of the ordinary. We believe you." Leo  
said softly.  
  
Mikey wiped his eyes again and closed them, taking a moment to regain  
his composure. Finally, he opened them and continued. "The sound I  
heard ended up to be a common mugger going after a jogger. I took care  
of him, and when I turned around to meet back with Donnie, I. I saw."  
he chewed nervously on his lower lip and looked to Leo for support,  
"it sounds crazy, but I swear to god, I saw Donnie and this. this guy.  
At least. I think it was a guy, he was wearing a cape with a hood, I  
could only see his hands, and they just. his fingers were long and  
thin, but," he made gestures with one of his hands, "they just didn't  
look like a woman's hands. They looked like. I don't know, a  
musician's hands, or an artist's hands."  
  
April, recognizing Mikey's distressed state, chose not to ask him to  
drop the damn hands and continue.  
  
"Anyway, this guy had Donnie pushed up against the tree, with his arms  
around him. Donnie was. was struggling. And they. they rose into the  
air."  
  
April raised an eyebrow and looked at splinter. The aged rat simply  
gestured to indicate that she listen to Mikey finish.  
  
"The guy looked like he was. I don't know. kissing him."  
  
"Kissing him?" april asked increduously.  
  
Mikey looked at her, "well, that's what it looked like, his. his mouth  
was on Donnie's neck like he was kissing him or. or biting him or  
something. They were pretty high in the air, and I finally lost sight  
of them. But, w-when I went over to the tree, I. I found" he choked,  
"I found blood on the ground. And I found Donnie's bo staff, embedded  
into another tree, like it had been thrown." Mikey resumed his pacing  
and wrung his hands. his voice took on a shrill tone, "oh god, if I'd  
only stayed with him! If I'd just. it's my fault! He could be dead,  
and it's my fault!" he seemed to be working himself into hysterics.  
  
Splinter walked over to him. He guided him to a nearby chair, where he  
put an arm around his shoulders and talked softly to him.  
  
Leo sat beside April and talked to her just above a whisper, "when he  
got back, he was practically hyperventilating. Whatever it was he saw,  
it scared the shit out of him. It was an hour before we could get any  
comprehensive words out of him."  
  
"Do you think he really saw some guy flying off with Donnie?" April  
asked, maintaining the low whisper.  
  
"It's hard to tell whether he was just freaked out by what he saw, and  
his imagination played tricks on him. But, he swears by his story,  
even though he knows how strange it sounds."  
  
April nodded, leaning back, and crossing her arms over her chest. Her  
brow furrowed and she pressed her lips together, as she thought.  
  
"Michaelangelo has retired for the night," splinter came back over,  
followed by Raphael.  
  
"The reason we wanted to talk to you," said Leo, resuming a normal  
tone of voice, " was that we were wondering if there was anything in  
the news to indicate a. I don't know, a flying kidnapper, or  
something. I definitely think we're dealing with something that's more  
a part of your world than ours, and we're at a complete standstill  
about how to proceed."  
  
"Well. I hesitate to mention this, for obvious reasons but. you guys  
know what this looks like, right?"  
  
"Yeah," responded Raph, "it sounds to me like Donnie's been picked up  
by a vampire."  
  
"Of course, that's incredibly unlikely."  
  
"Maybe not so unlikely as you may think." They turned to splinter.  
  
"Do you think he was abducted by a vampire, sensei?" asked leo.  
  
"I do not say anything to one explanation or another, and I certainly  
do not want to encourage us away from a more rational conclusion."  
  
"But?"  
  
Splinter looked at April and smiled, "but, I think we would all  
benefit from any information you could give us, child."  
  
April took a deep breath and began, "well, I don't know if you guys  
caught the morning broadcast?"  
  
"Yeah." Answered Raph.  
  
"Well, than you'll remember that over the past month four bodies have  
been found, all apparent murders, the cause of which the police seem  
reluctant to disclose to the media," April scowled darkly as she  
recalled too many arguments with the chief of police, "well, I did a  
little investigating of my own, which, I'll admit, involved cuddling  
up to one of the deputies."  
  
"For shame, April." Leo chided her jokingly.  
  
She winked at him, "well, you know me, insatiable curiosity."  
  
"I'll say."  
  
"Anyway, it turns out all of the bodies were completely drained of  
blood, though two puncture marks on the main artery in the neck." She  
pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow at her companions.  
  
"Who were the victims?" leo inquired  
  
"Interestingly enough, a rapist who had recently been let out on  
parole, two people who were identified as responsible for a stabbing,  
and a businessman who, after his death, was revealed to be a wife  
beater."  
  
"Sounds like this. whatever it is, has a somewhat twisted sense of  
justice. Or maybe, if it is a vampire, a rampant guilt complex." Leo  
thought aloud.  
  
April shrugged, "well, whoever he is, he isn't raising too much of a  
fuss. I mean, no one is really missing the victims. They were  
criminals and vagrants, though I'm not saying that they deserved.  
that."  
  
"So, if we're to take the most obvious explanation," Leo reasoned,  
"we're dealing with a vampire, living unknown in New York City, who  
likes the taste of turtle blood." He got a sick look on his face as he  
realized what he had said."  
  
"What if Donnie's dead?" Raph was staring intently at the floor, as if  
it might provide him with answers if he stared hard enough. His voice  
was devoid of emotion.  
  
Leo closed his eyes.  
  
Splinter spoke up, "was it determined that the victims of this, what  
appears to be a vampire, were taken anywhere before they were killed?"  
his calm voice, even in question, slowed the pounding hearts of the  
three he sat with.  
  
"Well." April ran a hand through her hair, finding comfort in the  
details, "the evidence showed that victims were surprised, attacked,  
and killed on the spot."  
  
"Why do you ask, master splinter?" Leo inquired  
  
"It sounds as if death was not what this creature intended for  
Donatello."  
  
"That's right," April sounded excited, "it wouldn't fit the profile at  
all. If he'd wanted to drain his blood, he probably would have done it  
on the spot. So, Donnie's probably still alive somewhere. This thing's  
probably holding him somewhere."  
  
"So, how can we track this thing down?"  
  
"I think, my sons, the only thing we can do is wait, until a sign  
presents itself."  
  
The others nodded, but somehow found it hard to resign themselves to  
patience.  
  
*****  
  
Donnie snorted once as he woke up. Keeping his eyes closed, he  
stretched his muscular arms above his head, and pointed his toes,  
flexing his calves. Damn, but he felt well rested. He opened his eyes.  
  
"greetings. lover"  
  
"EEEEAAGH!" he scrambled back from the eager face a half-inch from  
his, and abruptly fell off the bed. His hand flew to his pounding  
heart.  
  
Anglo peered over the edge of the bed, his blonde hair tousled and  
curling loosely over his shoulders, "you really are very tense. It's  
not healthy for someone so young." He propped his chin on his elbows  
and observed Donnie with an amused curiosity.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" panted Donnie, as he  
regained his breath.  
  
Anglo vaulted off the bed and landed beside Donnie, a sheet around his  
middle his only clothing, "oh, don't be so upset." He snuggled up to  
Donnie and ran his fingers up and down his plastron, "is it wrong that  
I like to cuddle with the object of my infatuation?"  
  
Donnie stood up on shaky legs and sat on the bed, "infatuation?"  
  
Angelo laughed and sprung up, landing straddled on Donnie's lap. He  
pushed Donnie's shoulders back down onto the bed, "that's what I said,  
isn't it? You're so. so strange. In a cute way. How could I possibly  
resist?" with a mischievous grin, he ground his groin suggestively  
against the bottom of Donnie's plastron.  
  
"H-hey, knock it off."  
  
"Oh, you're no fun." Angelo pouted, but rolled off donnie and stood  
up.  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"Oh, probably around eight. Why?" Angelo answered as he pulled on a  
loose pair of black pants and a black silk shirt.  
  
"Have I been sleeping all day?"  
  
"Call it recuperating."  
  
"A-are you going to let me go?" donnie inquired hopefully.  
  
The vampire, illuminated from the back by the city's glittering  
electric galaxy, turned toward Donnie. The turtle tried to ignore how  
sensuous he looked, as his stomach fluttered. Was it really true that  
this beautiful creature fancied him?  
  
"I'm not sure. Perhaps, eventually."  
  
"Well, if you're not planning on letting me go soon, what are you  
going to do with me?" at Angelo's grin, Donnie hastily added, "uh,  
besides. uh. that."  
  
Angelo took something from the chair near him, and tossed it to  
Donnie. Donnie looked down to see that it was his belt, wrist guards  
and mask.  
  
"I'm planning on taking you out. Put those on, you look positively  
naked without them. Not that I mind."  
  
Donnie blushed. "Where are you taking me?"  
  
"I want to show you something." Angelo's face sobered.  
  
"What? And why?"  
  
Angelo winked and placed a finger on his lips, "all in good time. Now  
get ready."  
  
Knowing that he hardly had a choice in the matter, Donnie buckled on  
his belt and slipped on his wrist guards. It felt good to be wearing  
the items once again. He tied the mask on, and thus felt like he was  
donning his street identity, the swift, silent, and skilled ninja,  
instead of the insecure, nerdy mutant he was by day.  
  
Angelo tied his hair back and put on a flowing black cape. He threw  
open the French windows.  
  
"W-were not leaving that way, are we?" Donnie asked incredulously,  
seeing how high they were.  
  
"Oh, the door's far too mundane."  
  
"Look, maybe you can fly, but I-"  
  
"I can't fly."  
  
"But, when you bit me, you-"  
  
"Oh, yeah, when I'm feeding I get a kind of adrenalin high, which  
enables me to fly, like kali can, for a small period of time."  
  
"Oh. Than how."  
  
"I'll show you." in on fluid movement, Angelo grabbed Donnie's wrist  
and, pulling the turtle after him, jumped from the balcony.  
  
Donnie's mouth was stuck open, in a silent scream, as the air whistled  
past his head. He saw the top of another section of the apartment  
building rushing up toward him at an alarming rate. He felt Angelo's  
arm circle his waist. There was a jolt, and suddenly they were sailing  
upwards, toward another building-top. Instinctively, Donnie clutched  
at Angelo. There was another jolt, and the other building-top was  
falling below them.  
  
"What a way to travel, eh?" Angelo roared, laughing.  
  
"AAAAH!" was the only response he received.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity of rushing wind, jolts and jumps,  
they landed on the top of one of the more tall buildings. Angelo let  
go of Donnie, who's legs gave way beneath him. He sat down on the  
concrete, hard, jaw slack.  
  
"Cool, huh?" Angelo said down to him.  
  
"guh. uh. huh."  
  
"Glad you like it."  
  
"wuh.wuh. where are we?"  
  
"On the top of one of those rotating restaurants. I'm not exactly sure  
which, but it's the tallest and it's got a helluva view. Check it  
out."  
  
Donnie found his knees and stood up. His breath caught in his throat.  
The city was like a universe of lights, glittering and winking, fading  
into the darkness above. He found that he suddenly understood Angelo  
much better. The city was at his feet, kneeling to him, offering him  
its sounds. It was like a living thing, it had a heartbeat, the  
teeming cars were its blood, the buildings of concrete and glass its  
bones. The city was his. It belonged to him. No one knew, no one  
needed to know. The city itself knew. It belonged to him, only him. He  
owned it.  
  
"Not bad, huh?" Angelo stood beside him.  
  
"I've never seen the city like this before." He whispered, "I feel  
like I."  
  
"Like it's aaaaaall yours, only for you." Angelo nodded and slung an  
arm over Donnie's shoulders, "I've wanted to show this to someone for  
awhile. Someone that. a mortal."  
  
"why?" Donnie kept his eyes on his city below him, but found himself  
leaning slightly into Angelo's side. Surprisingly, it was warm.  
  
"Mortals see the world differently than we do. Maybe I want to know  
how you see it different. Maybe I want to know how you see it the  
same, to know that we all have something in common."  
  
Donnie looked up toward Angelo. The vampire's eyes looked out toward  
the city, though they seemed unfocused, as if he saw something about  
it, underneath it, that only he could perceive.  
  
"Is that the only reason?"  
  
"No."  
  
"What's the other one?"  
  
"Because this place is so.. ROMANTIC!!" Angelo flung himself at  
Donnie, toppling both of them over. Donnie grunted as Angelo landed on  
him. He felt unsatisfied by the answer to his question, but reasoned  
that he was unlikely to get a clearer one at this point.  
  
Angelo gazed into Donnie's eyes with an intense expression, as if  
reading something within them, which was hard to decipher. He lowered  
his head and pressed his lips to the turtle's. Donnie was surprised at  
how soft Angelo's lips were. A passing thought wondered whether the  
vampire used lip balm, or the characteristic was typical of his kind.  
he felt connected to the eternity of Angelo's life, as if the expanse  
of it was suddenly clear, and he realized how old, and how young, this  
being was. He acted with an almost childish mischief, but he had seen  
more, experienced more, and suffered more than donnie's mind could  
encompass.  
  
Angelo pulled his head back, breaking the kiss. "I want to." he  
trailed off, his voice a husky river. His eyes were suddenly dark and  
hot with a very earthly desire.  
  
The world suddenly blurred around him, and it seemed like only an  
instant had passed before he was standing on Angelo's balcony,  
stepping backwards as the vampire moved forwards, his tongue and lips  
exploring Donnie's neck, his fingers fluttering about the buckle to  
Donnie's belt.  
  
Before they had gotten three steps, Donnie's belt, wrist-guards, and  
mask were on the floor. Angelo trailed his hands feverishly over  
Donnie's torso. He lightly dragged his fangs over the turtle's neck..  
Donnie's heart was pounding against his chest, and his breathing  
quickened. Heat began to pool in his groin, even as his mind  
frantically tried to rationalize his feelings and what was best to do  
in just such a situation.  
  
Angelo tipped his captive backwards onto the waterbed, which rocked in  
response to the sudden weight. Donnie pushed himself up toward the  
headboard, confusion cramping his stomach as he sought for something  
to say to Angelo who was crawling toward him, his tongue running over  
his teeth, his eyes savage and feral.  
  
"W-wait.I." Donnie started.  
  
Angelo grasped his wrists and held them over his head. He moved his  
mouth around Donnie's shoulders, neck, collar and chest, making low,  
growling pants in his throat.  
  
"I.I don't know if I can. if I'm ready for."  
  
Angelo let go of Donnie's wrists and slid his hands down to Donnie's  
plastron, slowly continuing their path to Donnie's legs. "Don't  
worry," he breathed as he placed his hands on the insides of Donnie's  
trembling thighs, "you'll still be a virgin when I'm done." He  
snickered  
  
Donnie, though flooded with relief, still found it hard to ignore that  
small part of him that was disappointed, "uh. okay."  
  
**********  
  
"Vampires." April stated as she dropped a hefty pile of old books onto  
the kitchen table.  
  
Leo looked at the pile of books on the table in front of him, and  
looked up at April. "Vampires?"  
  
Mikey wandered in and gave the books a skeptical look, "you guys are  
really taking this vampire idea seriously?"  
  
"Well, it's our only course of action for the moment. I went to the  
library and got out all the books I could on accounts of the  
supernatural, and more specifically, vampires. I spent hours reading  
up on them, and I think, if vampires are the problem, I have an idea  
of how to deal with it."  
  
Splinter entered and sat at the table. Raph and Mikey also pulled up  
chairs.  
  
April pulled out a chair, but resigned herself to pacing excitedly as  
soon as she began talking, "okay, here's the deal, accounts of so  
called 'vampires' go back pretty far, and all over the globe. A lot of  
accounts look like the result of rabies or consumption, which are both  
diseases which may result in supposed 'vampire-like' behavior or  
appearance. However, I did find quite a few stories which seem  
legitimate, though I can't vouch for the authors. A lot of these older  
books describe how to kill a vampire. Some of these contend with each  
other, but if it's there's one thing they all have in common, it's  
stakes and holy objects."  
  
"Holy objects, like crosses?" asked Leo  
  
"Well, if you just waved a random cross at a vampire, it probably  
wouldn't work. The object has to be blessed, by someone with enough  
faith to empower it. Holy water also works. Supposedly, it's like acid  
to vampires."  
  
"So, what do we do? Sharpen some wood and cast around for some holy  
water?" asked Raph, propping his feet on the table.  
  
"It would seem so." Said Splinter.  
  
"So, where are we going to get holy water?" asked Mikey.  
  
"Well, I could probably get some from the local catholic church. I  
would probably sound funny asking for it, but I doubt they'd hold off  
on me."  
  
"Then what?" asked Mikey  
  
"Then," answered Leo, "we patrol as usual, armed with these objects,  
and stake the bastard who has Donnie if we see him!" he had a fiercly  
determined look in his normally serene eyes. It seemed to rub off on  
his brothers, who also strengthened their resolves.  
  
"Let's do it." said Raph, and stood up.  
  
***********  
  
Donnie leaned against the balcony railing, content that the veil of  
twilight would keep him hidden from curious eyes. Rush hour was just  
petering out, and lights started to come on, winking and glowing like  
so many fireflies against the reflected pink and purple of dusk.  
  
He had spent the entire day asleep, but had two small, fresh puncture  
marks on his neck when he woke up. He assumed they came from the  
mysterious girl, Kali, who seemed to have all the material and reality  
of a passing wind. He inhaled deeply. Up here, the smog was much less,  
and he could scent the coming night in the cool air.  
  
Warm, strong arms encircled his torso, and a goateed chin rested on  
the top of his head. "Evening." Angelo's voice was thick with newly  
ended sleep. "Great view, huh?"  
  
"I hardly ever get to see the city like this." Donnie said quietly.  
  
"I imagine it's quite different from what you're used to." Angelo  
turned him around and looked into his eyes, "you know, it doesn't have  
to be."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I have no intention of keeping you here against your will, though I  
had originally considered it. But why don't you stay? You can see the  
city like this any time you want, and every night it can be spread  
beneath you, you can own it, like I do." Angelo's stare was intense.  
  
Donnie looked out at the city again. He then thought of his family. By  
now, they would be in hysterics over him. "It's a great offer, but. I  
have a different life. One that I feel obligated to carry out. These  
streets are dangerous, and if there's something I can do about that to  
make a difference. well."  
  
Angelo nodded and sighed. "I need to go out hunting tonight." He  
smirked at Donnie, "not that I wouldn't like to suck on you a bit  
more,"  
  
Donnie made a small, strangled sound in the back of his throat, and  
the blood rushed to his cheeks, which turned bright red underneath the  
green of his skin.  
  
"However," Angelo continued, sighing dramatically, "it's high time I  
ensanguine someone. Small amounts will only last for so long."  
  
"So you can do without drinking blood for a long period of time if  
you.drain. someone?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"But, you'll kill them."  
  
Angelo looked in Donnie's eyes, the humor going out of his face, "I  
never said I was a saint. I do what I have to in order to survive."  
  
"I can't let you just go out and kill someone!"  
  
Angelo thrust his face close to Donnie's, "and what, my friend, will  
you do about it?"  
  
"Well." Donnie faltered, looking down, "I have to do something."  
  
"Look, it's not as if I'm harming completely innocent people. Why  
don't you come with me tonight? I'll show you."  
  
"I can't watch you kill someone. Besides, the people I live with are  
probably sick about all this." he felt guilt in his stomach at the  
thought that, for a while, he had forgotten them.  
  
"Fine." Said Angelo, turning and walking back into the bedroom, "I can  
take you to them. You usually patrol the bad parts of town, yes?"  
Angelo pulled on dark jeans, a black silk shirt and swung his cloak  
about his shoulders.  
  
"Yeah." Said Donatello, following him in and casting about for his  
belt and mask.  
  
"Good. That would be the area I frequent, myself."  
  
Donnie gave him a questioning look, but said nothing.  
  
Once full dark was upon the city, they lighted silently from Angelo's  
balcony. Through the blur of lights and sounds, Donnie could make out  
the buildings getting more and more run-down and dark as they went. In  
a sudden movement, Angelo dropped Donnie to the roof of an old  
warehouse. He stood completely still, letting the wind ruffle his  
hair. He bounded to the edge of the building and peered over. Donnie  
followed him, and the sounds of a struggle. In the alley below was a  
woman struggling against two men. One of them held a knife against her  
throat, while the other tore at her blouse. She sobbed silently.  
  
Before Donnie could so much as put a leg over the side to jump down,  
Angelo was on the ground. As Donnie watched, stupified, from his new  
position in the alleyway. A pale hand darted forward, and strong  
fingers sunk into the flesh of one of the men's throats. He made a  
gurgling sound as his esophagus was torn from his throat and thrown to  
the ground. His hands grabbing convulsively, his eyes rolling, he fell  
to the ground, trying vainly to staunch the gaping wound in his neck.  
The other man attempted to run, but Angelo was upon him like a large  
cat. The woman screamed and ran as the vampire sunk his fangs into the  
back of the howling man's neck.  
  
"Donnie!" he suddenly heard someone yell. He looked across the street  
and found Leo, flanked by Raph and April, running toward him.  
Suddenly, everything was chaos.  
  
With a roar, Raph threw himself on Angelo, who barely had time to look  
up before being hurled to the ground. April came up behind him and  
pulled out a long, sharp piece of wood. Realizing what it was, Donnie  
tried to yell, but his voice was lost behind Raph's shout as he was  
flung like a rag doll against the side of the warehouse. Leo launched  
himself onto the vampire's back.  
  
"April, now!" he yelled.  
  
Donnie's voice seemed to stick in his throat as the scene passed  
before him in slow motion.  
  
Angelo reached behind him, grabbing Leo by his arms and flinging him  
over his head. While his arms were still raised, April darted in, dark  
hair flying about her face and, with an animal-like snarl, plunged the  
stake into Angelo's chest, the wound smoking and exploding with blood.  
As she stepped back, eyes wide, the normal pace of time resumed.  
  
Donnie rushed forward, but words died on his lips as he met Angelo's  
eyes. The vampire's eyes were like clear blue sky, wide and  
disbelieving. His bloody jaw worked as if he meant to say something.  
His hands went to his chest. He fell to his knees. He took a last,  
shuddering breath before collapsing onto his back. His eyes glazed  
over, and he was still.  
  
Donnie could only stand and stare at him, even when April and Leo  
threw their arms about his shoulders and gushed in relief. He only  
heard bits of their words, staring into those blank blue eyes, made  
dull and lifeless.  
  
He suddenly felt a tug at his mind and, instinctively, looked up. Leo,  
Raph and April followed his eyes, and stood protectively in front of  
him at what they saw.  
  
Like a dark angel, the vampire called Kali floated to the ground,  
heedless of the broken glass, which touched her tiny bare feet. Her  
dark eyes were glued to the prone form in front of her.  
  
Donnie stepped around his stupefied companions and approached the  
girl.  
  
"Kali," he heard himself say. He reached a hand out to her, but  
dropped it, numbly.  
  
She gave him an unreadable look, and turned back to Angelo's still  
form. Quietly, she knelt, and wrapped her tiny hands around the stake.  
Her smooth flesh sizzled and smoked as it came into contact with the  
holy water in which the stake had been soaked. With a sick, wet sound  
she pulled the stake free. Silently, she encircled her arms around  
Angelo's chest. Holding him to her like one might a child, she slowly  
rose into the air. Donnie's eyes remained glued to her pale form until  
it dissappeared beneath the sky. It took him several moments to  
realize that someone was saying his name.  
  
"W-what?" he turned.  
  
"Donnie," said Leo, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder, "are you  
okay? Are you hurt?"  
  
"N-no." Donnie looked down and his hand instinctively went to the main  
artery in his neck, the puncture wounds were already reduced to nearly  
undetectable indentations.  
  
"Donnie, what's wrong?" Leo turned Donnie's chin up so their eyes met.  
  
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I. I just want to go home."  
  
"Okay, let's go." Leo led his brother out of the alley, an arm around  
his shoulders. April and Raph followed silently. They walked in the  
shadows, heading toward their waiting home.  
  
**************  
  
Ya like it so far? Got comments? Suggestions? Just wanna say 'hi'?  
lemme know!! 


	2. Rejuvinate

Midnight Snacks: Chapter 2: Rejuvinate  
  
By Tinselcat  
  
Rated: PG-13  
  
Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the interior of the bare, abandoned room with a harsh, white glare. Just as quickly, it was gone, leaving the dull glow of the city lights through the rain to barely cross the threshold of the broken windows. Thunder sounded like distant drums, the vibration carrying low and slight, like an ancient echo from a time long past.  
  
She paid mind to none of these things.  
  
She knelt beside the body sprawled on the cold floor, heedless of the dust smearing her white dress. She looked at the face of what was once her own. She reached out a tiny hand and brushed a stray blonde curl from the handsome face. She gently closed the lids over the pale blue, unseeing orbs. Her fingers fluttered down the torn shirt, to the gaping hole in the chest. She traced the edge lightly, her cupids-bow lips turning down, her dark eyebrows drawing to produce a shallow line in her forehead.  
  
She withdrew her hand, and slowly reached into the laced bodice of her dress. She produced a small knife. The metal glinted slightly in her hand. She raised her hands over the body's chest. Her lips tightened into a thin line as she, with one swift downward stroke, sliced open her wrist. The blood flowed quickly, spilling over the ragged wound and torn, scorched flesh surrounding it. steam rose from the wound where the liquid touched it, the cold flesh sizzled slightly at the contact.  
  
She set her jaw, willing the blood to flow faster, and fill the hole that marred the pale flesh of the body's chest. As the wound filled, the dark liquid suddenly grew hot. It bubbled and steamed, filling the empty space with its potent, metallic scent. The girl's eyes glinted slightly as she inhaled the fumes. She then moved her still bleeding wrist over to the face, forcing the jaw open with her other hand. The life fluid slowly began to fill the mouth, spattering over the jaw and cheeks in the process. The girl's lips pulled back from her teeth, her large eyes narrowing with effort. her nostril's flared with the breaths she took, if only out of habit than need.  
  
The blood in the mouth, too, began to boil. All at once the girl's shoulder's slumped and she pulled her bleeding wrist to her chest, closing her other hand around the wound. Her once full cheeks were now hollow, her eyes sunken into her face, her flesh drawn around her small bones. Yet she still stared at the body, her gaze never faltering. The blood gradually stopped boiling, and finally lay still in the open mouth and ragged wound.  
  
Then, her eyes were drawn to a movement so slight as to be invisible to any other. The skin at the base of the jaw and throat rose ever so slightly, and fell.  
  
The slight tightening at the edges of the girl's mouth was the only indication that she was smiling.  
  
*********  
  
"aichiwawa! The woman is hot shit!" Mikey shook his head and popped another kernel of popcorn into his mouth.  
  
"you see the woman practically every day. What's the big deal?" Leo leaned over the back of the couch and stared at the tv over Mikey's shoulder.  
  
"look at her work, man, she's like 'scourge of the slimy senator'. Are you seeing this, dude? She's totally chewing the guy out for his policy on education. If this guy ever had hopes of getting elected, they're long gone now. boy, it's like seeing an artist at work." Mikey sighed dreamily.  
  
"well, if anyone can verbally kick an ultra-conservative right-winger's ass, it's our April." Leo walked from the couch after taking a last look at the intrepid reporter in action. He ambled over to where Donnie was hunched over his computer screen, staring intently at it. "hey Donnie,"  
  
"."  
  
"uh. earth to Donnie."  
  
"."  
  
"hey" Leo put a hand on Donnie's shoulder.  
  
"EEEYIKE!" screeched the turtle, jumping about six inches into the air. He spun in his chair, and looked wildly at his equally startled brother.  
  
"tense, much?" Leo smiled to cover his concern, but it still sat as a hard lump in his stomach.  
  
"s-sorry" muttered Donnie, looking down.  
  
"good of you to visit once and awhile, John Glenn." Leo pulled a stray chair up and plopped into it, facing Donnie.  
  
"sorry," repeated Donnie, "I'm just a little tired I guess." He turned back to the screen.  
  
"dude, maybe your 'pms'ing!" called Mikey from the couch.  
  
Donnie rolled his eyes and muttered something about Neanderthals.  
  
Leo gave Mikey a look, which was totally missed, and turned back to Donnie, "you wanna go out patrolling tonight?"  
  
Donnie shrugged noncommittally.  
  
Leo lowered his voice to just above a whisper, "look, I don't mean hunting or anything. You wanna just take a walk?"  
  
Donnie looked at him.  
  
"and talk, maybe?"  
  
Donnie sighed, a dozen excuses going through his mind. None of which would remotely fool his empathic brother. "well, I'm not really in the mood to fight or anything."  
  
"naw," said Leo, rising, "we'll just walk around the safer parts of town. Get some exercise."  
  
Donnie sighed. He'd been avoiding "the talk" for a week, he supposed it was time to face the music. He got up and caught the long trenchcoat Leo tossed in his direction. After buckling on his belt and tying on his mask for good measure, he swung the coat on and topped it off with a hat. Leo, similarly garbed, accompanied him.  
  
Within 15 minutes they were strolling the border of central park, keeping to the shadows of the trees, but within sight of the still-busy and well- lit streets.  
  
Leo started off the conversation, "well, let's hear it. what's up?"  
  
Donnie made a scoffing sound in his throat, "what do you think?" he snapped. He immediately regretted speaking harshly to his well-meaning brother, and glanced over to him. "sorry, I-"  
  
"don't sweat it, I understand that everything must be pretty hard for you. I can't imagine what you must be feeling. Maybe I would if you'd tell me what happened for those couple days." He looked into Donnie's eyes, making no effort to hide the determination in his features.  
  
Donnie shrugged lamely, "I told you, he took me to an apartment, fed on my blood a few times, and took me with him hunting that night. You know the rest."  
  
"Do I? If it was really just that, why have you avoided the subject for a week? Hell, you've avoided everything for a week, including the people you live with. If this guy really had no real effect on you, why are you acting so strange? Usually you're glad to accompany Raph, Mikey and I on patrol, eager to help people. This past week, you've come out with us twice."  
  
The memory of feelings passed through his consciousness. He searched for the words to use to describe what he was feeling and why, and they continuously eluded him. He finally latched onto a memory which had remained in his dreams steadfastly though the week. "Have you ever seen the city from the top of the highest buildings?" he asked quietly.  
  
Leo was about to say "sure", but stopped himself. "Now that you mention it. I don't think so."  
  
"He took me to the top of one of those rotating restaurants. You know the ones, where you can see the whole city. Suddenly I felt like. I don't know." His eyes focused on the pavement beneath his feet, as if it might put words in his mouth.  
  
Leo was about to encourage Donnie to elaborate, when he began talking once more.  
  
"I wasn't a freak anymore." He sighed, "I suddenly felt like I belonged here. It didn't matter that I hide from the people who live on the surface. None of that mattered. It was like. it was like I suddenly realized that this city is as much mine as it is anyone else's." he raised his eyes, but they were no longer focused on his surroundings. He was seeing beyond the people and the streets. He was seeing the city as a myriad of colored lights, a living, breathing entity. He sighed at the memory, "it was just me, the city and." he abruptly stopped talking, his eyes refocusing to the present. They dropped to the ground once more.  
  
".and that vampire?" finished Leo for him.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You know, you never told us his name."  
  
Donnie's mouth twisted into a sour smile, "it was 'Angelo'. He would've fit right in with us, huh?"  
  
"He was Italian?" asked Leo, trying to keep his brother talking, but not wanting to pressure him into any topic too sensitive. He could feel the weight that was lifting from his brother's shoulders as he spoke.  
  
"He didn't look Italian. Now that I think back on it, he may have been French. He would sometimes pronounce his 'r's in the back of his throat." Donnie's smile became fond as he sifted through his memories of those few days he spent with the creature.  
  
Leo wasn't sure what to make of Donnie's attitude toward his captor. That thing was an animalistic predator, he had seen it attack someone. Yet, from the way Donnie was acting, it seemed almost as if he cared for his captor. Not the sort of enamor that one sometimes gets from kidnap victims who become dependent on their captors, but a genuine fondness. "Donnie, what else happened?"  
  
Donnie gave him a startled glance. A flush creeped into his cheeks and he abruptly averted his face. "I don't know what you're talking about." he muttered.  
  
Leo saw his brother's face redden out of the corner of his eye. He stopped abruptly. Donnie halted a few steps in front of him, after realizing that his brother was no longer beside him. He turned around to face Leo.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"You tell me."  
  
Donnie's eyes fixated on the sidewalk once more, "okay, so some other stuff happened. Big deal."  
  
Leo stepped up to his brother and set a hand on his shoulder. Donnie raised his eyes to meet Leo's, "Donnie, if that. thing forced you into something, you need to tell-"  
  
"There was nothing 'forced' about it." Donnie blurted. Suddenly realizing what he'd admitted, his eyes widened, his face began to look like a tomato, and he swiftly turned from Leo, hiding his face.  
  
Leo stood in stunned silence as the idea sunk in.  
  
"Don't get the wrong idea," said Donnie quietly, his shoulders hunched and his hands jammed into his pockets, "I admit it, okay? It was mutual; he wouldn't have done anything to me if I hadn't wanted to. And we didn't go all the way or anything. I don't think he would have even if." Donnie trailed off, unsure of what to say.  
  
Leo was tongue-tied. His brain just wasn't processing the information. His world of good and evil, black and white, was being barraged by a multitude of grays. Donnie and Angelo. a good guy and a bad guy. that just didn't work. "I realize that it must be difficult for you, but-"  
  
"Leo." Said Donnie, his voice remaining quiet but commanding the attention of his concerned brother, "He didn't rape me."  
  
Leo flinched at the word he'd been trying to avoid. He took a deep breath, and started to walk again, Donnie by his side. "So, are you. uh." He faltered, it being his turn to blush, unsure of just how he had suddenly gotten into *this* conversation.  
  
"Gay?" Donnie looked at Leo, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "I dunno. Maybe."  
  
"Well, whatever you are, you know that I'll support you." Leo felt confident in this statement, one which he knew was true, and held onto that concrete truth in a world that suddenly seemed so strange.  
  
"Thanks. That means a lot."  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
The two slipped into silence, each with their own thoughts. Presently, Donnie pointed at a spot of central park which they were passing, "there's where it all began." Without looking at Leo, he walked onto the grass, toward the tree he had been pinned against by a supernatural being, not too long ago. He placed his hand on it, and imagined that he could almost feel a tingle of residual energy, left over from that intense encounter. He looked over to the tree where his bo was embedded. The part that had stuck out was sawed off now, but he could still make out, in the minimal light, the circular, wood-filled hole in the tree where the rest of his weapon remained.  
  
Leo stood at the edge of the circle of light created by the nearest lamppost, sensing that this was a moment his brother needed to himself. He suddenly smelled something. A strong floral scent was coming from somewhere nearby. He casually glanced around for the woman who had put on a bit too much perfume. Seeing no one within at least 6 feet of him he shrugged and forgot about it.  
  
Donnie smelled it too. Puzzled, he couldn't figure out why the scent was familiar to him. Was it coming from the tree? He sniffed the bark. No, it wasn't that. It smelled like. roses?  
  
The significance of the smell hit him, just before the dark form dropping from the darkness did. He tumbled to the ground and looked at the figure looming before him. In the dim light he could make out skeletal limbs, and a face, pale and sunken. Hair fell in tangles down the thing's shoulders, and through the grime he could just make out it's golden color. It was the eyes that held him. They were a brilliant, pure blue, and seemed to consume him.  
  
This observation occurred within the space of a millisecond, before his assailant darted down and sunk his sharp teeth into Donnie's exposed neck. Leo's alarmed shout seemed to come from a great distance as the world around him began to darken at the edges. "Oh shit, not again" he breathed, just before the darkness claimed him. 


	3. Explainations

Midnight Snacks: Chapter 3: Explainations  
  
By Tinselcat  
  
Rated: PG  
  
His body ached. He lay on his bed, that much he knew, from the familiar scent. He kept his eyes closed, trying to rationalize his memories.  
  
No. it wasn't possible. To be sure, something happened, and he was surely attacked by someone. Some.thing. But the rest. blue eyes. gold hair. no, the light was dim, his eyes were playing tricks on him. Further evidence that he had spent way too much time staring at a computer monitor lately.  
  
"I really can't apologize enough. Though you have to understand, I really *was* desperate."  
  
He opened his eyes. That voice was familiar. Too familiar. Impossibly familiar. The curtain separating his cubicle of space from the rest of their dwelling was shut, and the light was dim. He reached up and removed the cool compress someone, probably Splinter, had thoughtfully placed on his forehead.  
  
"No excuses, paste-face! You're not getting away with this!" that was definitely Raph.  
  
"Please, be calm, my son, nothing can be accomplished by losing your temper."  
  
Donnie sat up and fought a wave of nausea. He stood on wobbly legs, steadying himself on the wall.  
  
"You, Leo, how can you just sit there? *You* saw this over-grown leech try to give him a blood transfusion! Help me out here!"  
  
"Calm down, master Splinter is right."  
  
Donnie pulled the curtain aside and took a shaky step toward the living room where the voices came from.  
  
"He did bring Donnie back here afterwards." that was Mikey "and he didn't kill him." his tone of voice indicated that, though it hadn't happened yet, he hadn't totally out-ruled the possibility.  
  
"If it hadn't been for Leo and a two-and-a-half foot long katana in his back, he probably would have!"  
  
"Please calm down, my sons. Arguing will not solve any of our problems."  
  
Donnie staggered into the living room and stopped, staring at the assembly before him: Raph was standing behind the couch, (all the better to wave his hands and pace). Splinter sat, cross-legged, in his rocking chair. Mikey and Leo sat on the couch. A familiar dark-haired, copper-skinned girl perched on the arm of the easy chair, dark eyes staring at Raph as if he were an interesting specimen of new life form, which she was investigating.  
  
And there, sprawled, cat-like on the easy chair, infuriating smirk in place, was Angelo. His face and arms were once more fleshy, once more a healthy tan instead of a deathly gray. His hair was pulled loosely back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He wore faded blue jeans and a simple black t-shirt.  
  
"Well," he said, meeting Donnie's brown eyes with his brilliant blue ones, "look who finally decided to join us."  
  
"W.w." Donnie tried, and failed, to form the question word he was looking for.  
  
Mikey and Leo hurried over to him and gently guided him to the couch, where he was seated across from a vampire who looked immensely pleased with himself. Once he was seated, he managed to say "what."  
  
"Why, honey-reptile, I thought you'd never ask!" Angelo stood up and sort of melted into the vacant spot next to Donnie.  
  
Raph made a sound of protest while Mikey backed nervously away, and Leo determinedly sat on Donnie's other side and shot Angelo a warning look.  
  
"Now that we're all cozy, may I explain myself?" Angelo directed his question toward Splinter. Donnie got the distinct feeling that, of all the people in the room, it was Kali and his Sensei that Angelo had a certain amount of respect for.  
  
"Please do so."  
  
"Thank you." Angelo nodded to Splinter who inclined his head slightly in reply. "*well*", he started off, "as you know, about a week ago, upon the close of a lovely, however short, period of time I got to spend with this adorable reptile," Angelo pinched Donnie's cheek affectionately. Donnie glowered at him "A sharpened wooden stake, thoughtfully soaked in holy water to avoid taking any chances, was plunged into my heart," he placed a palm over said organ dramatically, "and the great, well-traveled, well- loved child of darkness Angelo was thus executed." He lowered his head as if in mourning.  
  
"Or so we thought." Said Raphael.  
  
"Oh, don't put yourselves down, you really did quite a good job." Angelo reached over and patted Raph on the hand. The turtle visibly recoiled. "I was well and truly dead. *However*."  
  
"There always has to be a 'however', doesn't there?" said Mikey to Leo.  
  
"Always."  
  
"Had I not had the fortune of being looked after by that very epitome of lovely-ness over there," he gestured toward Kali who was at that moment braiding a lock of her hair and, having lost interest in Raphael, was staring intently at Splinter. "Now, this girl is more ancient than any other vampire that I, personally, know. There may very well be others older than her, but certainly not many."  
  
"How old is she?" asked Donnie.  
  
"Honestly, I have no idea, but were talking 'Before Common Era' if you know what I mean."  
  
Donnie looked at the child-like creature with renewed interest.  
  
"Anyway, being that ancient, she's immensely powerful. So powerful that her own blood can act as a sort of antidote to even the most powerful holy water. Sort of like adding positive one to negative one"  
  
"They cancel each other out." Said Donnie.  
  
"To a degree." Angelo pulled up his shirt to reveal the round area of scar tissue over his heart, which marred his otherwise smooth chest.  
  
"Sort of like canceling out good with evil." Donnie turned to Leo to see the dark look he was giving Angelo.  
  
The vampire evenly met his gaze, "oh, now, I think that's being a bit unfair." He gestured at Kali, "what did the cute, harmless little kid ever do to you?"  
  
"If that kid's harmless, I'm the mayor of NYC." Said Mikey.  
  
"Touché." Said Angelo, turning to Mikey and flashing him a smile which was, surprisingly, neither flirtatious nor malicious.  
  
Hesitantly, surprised by Angelo's reaction, Mikey returned the smile.  
  
"That's all very nice, but what the hell are you doing here? Leo could have brought him back without your help." Raph gave Leo a hard look, which his brother returned.  
  
"*Well*," said Angelo, draping an arm around Donnie's shoulders and fluttering the other hand melodramatically, "I thought I'd do you do- gooders a favor, since I feel simply *awful* for jumping Donatello like that." His tone implied that he felt no such thing, "I have some information for you."  
  
"What kind of information?" asked Leo suspiciously.  
  
"You kids watch the news?"  
  
"Every day." Said Mikey.  
  
"Than you've probably heard of the series of murders taking place there. Five bodies in five weeks, all drained of blood."  
  
"A friend of yours?" said Raph sarcastically.  
  
"Not anymore." Replied Angelo, suddenly staring fiercely at the floor, his eyes unfocused. He seemed to be seeing something more than the ragged rug on their living room floor. He shook his head as if to rid it of baneful images, "anyway, these murders are coming to the Big Apple. I thought I'd clue you guys in to what it is you'll be up against."  
  
"Why do you convey this information to us? Do you wish to help us?" asked Splinter.  
  
"Actually, the organization of vampires in New York could use your help. This murderer is a thorn in a lot of sides. He's drawing undue attention to himself."  
  
"Isn't that what you were doing, not too long ago?" asked Donnie, remembering recent reports of murders in New York due to blood loss.  
  
"That was before the U.U.V.A. opened a faction in New York City."  
  
"The what?"  
  
"United Underground Vampires Association. It's an organization which was started in London which provides blood for vampires though a number of voluntary donors, without hurting or killing anyone. It now has chapters in Moscow, Tokyo, Hong Kong, New Dheli, Dublin, Cairo,-" he counted off the places on his fingers.  
  
"Look, we get the idea." Said Raph.  
  
"Anyway, this murderer has been killing off human allies of the organization."  
  
"How do you know this person is coming here?"  
  
Though his composure remained relaxed, Donnie sensed that Angelo was nervous. The arm around his shoulders tensed, and his eyes shifted away from Leo's, "that's not important. What's important is that he needs to be stopped, and you four have skills that could be useful in detaining him."  
  
The turtles and their sensei exchanged looks.  
  
"Well, whaddaya say? Stick it to the bad guy, for the greater good of the new minority?"  
  
"We will have to discuss the matter." Splinter stood, and Angelo did as well. they clasped hands. "How shall we contact you?"  
  
Angelo looked at Donnie and grinned, "Donatello knows where to find me. Take it easy, sugar-shell." He winked and walked out the door, hand-in-hand with Kali.  
  
"Sugar-shell?" Leo, Raph and Mikey said at once.  
  
Donnie buried his face in his hands and groaned, "Here we go again."  
  
********** 


	4. Dreamscapes and Nightmares

Midnight Snacks: Chapter 4: Dreamscapes and Nightmares  
  
By Tinselcat  
  
Rated: R  
  
******************  
  
  
  
  
  
The figure in the black trench coat crouched on the edge of the building, absorbing the lights and sounds that lay beneath him. The cars were shooting stars of red and white, beeping to each other against the endless sky of cement and concrete. The people were mere specks of space dust, the neon signs presenting glowing nebulas dispersed in the universe that was New York City at night.  
  
He inhaled it all in like nourishment. It filled him to the brim. There was so much life, so many souls, they filled the air, making it heavy with their scent. So much blood, sweet blood. The city was so big, much bigger than Boston. It was a table, laden with a grand feast, all for him.  
  
A vision loomed in the darkness in front of him. No, not all for him. *Angelo.* the name sizzled through his mind. Angelo. he would claim this glory for himself. Of course, it all had to belong to him, didn't it? He could take anything, couldn't he? The bastard. he could just see Angelo's face, his expression a smug smile, one which the stranger trembled with an urge to rip from his face. Joking, jesting Anglo, playing the game, but insuring that *he* came out on top.  
  
*Not this time.* he thought. *This time the joke's on you. We're playing my game now, and we're playing by my rules.* the mysterious man grinned in the darkness, imagining a startled look of dismay on Angelo's familiar face, *we'll see who wins. We'll see how suave you are when your world crashes down around your ears, and you're left with nothing. Nothing. but me*  
  
He gave the passive silver moon the finger before uttering a chilling cackle and leaping from the rooftop into the open air.  
  
**************  
  
"Why do *I* have to go talk to him?"  
  
"You're the only one who knows where to find him."  
  
"Besides, it only makes sense. After all, he's *your* boyfriend!"  
  
"He is *NOT* my boyfriend!"  
  
"Yeah, cut Donnie a break, mike." Said Leo. However, he gave Donnie a sidelong glance, which implied that he believed Mikey's conclusion was not entirely incorrect.  
  
"But why do I have to go by myself?" Donnie whined uncharacteristically as Leo handed him his belt and bo.  
  
"The guy's a freak, Donnie." Said Raph as he tied on his red bandanna, "*I'm* going to avoid being near him as much as possible!"  
  
"Ha!" said Mikey, thrusting his nunchucks into his belt, "listen to the pot calling the kettle 'black'. Or rather, the oversized mutant turtle calling the vampire 'freak'."  
  
"You know we wouldn't ask you to go see him alone if we didn't think it was a good idea to patrol tonight. If this guy is right, we might be needed out there tonight." Leo tied on his mask and handed Donnie's to him, "however," he said quietly, "if you really feel uncomfortable or unsafe, I'll go with- "  
  
"That's all right, Leo." Mumbled Donnie, avoiding his brother's eyes as he took his mask, "I should talk to him anyway, about. stuff. Thanks anyway."  
  
"You sure you'll be all right?" Leo began to worry, still unconvinced of Donnie's claim that his and Angelo's little "interaction" had been 100% voluntary.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Donnie tied on his mask and raised his head to meet Leo's eyes. He gave a weak, but reassuring smile, "hey, I almost forgot. I finally finished those long-range walkie-talkies. I only have two, but they should be working." He went to his worktable and grabbed the two walkie- talkies on it. He tossed one to Leo, and made to give the other to Mikey.  
  
"Hang on to one yourself. We'll probably stay in the same area, so we won't need it."  
  
Donnie nodded and stuck it in a pouch on his shoulder strap.  
  
Ten minutes later he was running the fire escapes and building-tops, taking care to remain unseen in the well-lit area of New York's upper-class residence area. he finally located Angelo's building and secured a grappling-hook to the edge of the roof. He slid down the rope, staying just out of the various portions of light which the balconies cast on the side of the building. He counted down from the top, remembering the floor which Angelo's apartment was on. He found the correct balcony and swung easily over the railing. He peered in the window and saw that the familiar bedroom was lit only by the Christmas lights strung across the ceiling and hanging down the walls, providing a light which softened the edges of objects and cast a calm atmosphere. He put his hand on the doorknob and found the French doors unlocked. He quietly opened it and stepped inside. The room smelled of roses.  
  
No sooner had he closed the door behind him than a pair of strong hands latched onto his shoulders, spun him about, and his lips were suddenly engulfed by ones which were soft and inviting. He made a small, half- hearted sound of protest as his bo was drawn from its sheath and dropped on the floor. The feverish kisses traveled down the side of his face to his neck. He staggered backwards, suddenly aware that he was clinging desperately to his assailant. The backs of his knees hit the edge of the bed and he fell onto his shell, the familiar hands continuing to explore once more the various curves and edges of his body.  
  
Angelo finally sat up and rolled off of Donnie, letting the turtle sit up.  
  
"Glad to know you're happy to see me." he said hoarsely.  
  
"Glad? *Glad?!*" Angelo shook his head and smiled, bringing up a hand to stroke the side of Donnie's face, "my god, I thought I'd never see you, never touch you again. When I was laying on the ground, a stake in my heart, my life draining away, all I could think about was the fact that you were lost to me."  
  
Donnie was taken aback by Angelo's sincere words. His instincts told him that the vampire was not jesting as usual.  
  
"I mean, really, do you realize how much self-control it took back at your place, when you came out, not to jump you then and there?"  
  
Donnie looked down at his hands, "yeah, well, I know that has to be the only reason you keep coming for me. I mean, I can't be your usual, run-of- the-mill shag, can I?"  
  
"Do you really think that's the only reason I like to be with you?" Angelo reached out and tipped Donnie's face until their eyes met.  
  
Donnie's heart sped up. He was unprepared for an emotional conversation, and regretted blurting out his theory on Angelo's interest in him. He suddenly felt heat behind his eyes, as well as the threatening prick of tears, "well, why else would you like me?"  
  
Angelo shook his head and pulled Donnie toward him into a tight embrace, "if you can't answer that question for yourself, you could use a good shag."  
  
Donnie suddenly laughed and sobbed at the same time. He wrapped his arms around Angelo's neck and buried his face in the vampire's hair.  
  
When his sobs finally subsided into shuddering breaths, Donnie pulled back and allowed Angelo to wrap his long, graceful fingers around his own thick green ones. "You know, I came here to tell you the conclusion we reached."  
  
"That's boring." Angelo planted a kiss on the tip of Donnie's beak, "want some strawberries and champagne?" without waiting for an answer, he hopped off the bed and disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a bowl of strawberries in one hand, and two champagne glasses and an unopened bottle in the other.  
  
"We've decided to help you out," continued Donnie, pointedly ignoring the fact that Angelo was opening the champagne bottle and pouring it liberally into the glasses, "but only so far as it helps out the humans." Angelo thrust a full champagne glass into Donnie's hand, "once the threat to human life is over, so is our involvement. Beyond that, you guys can deal with your own problems. *Will* you *stop* that?!" he griped to Angelo.  
  
The vampire was slowly running his tongue around a strawberry, engulfing it in his mouth and pulling it out, still whole.  
  
"Anyway, you have to agree that neither you or your associates will try to attack and/or drink our blood, or that of any unwilling humans."  
  
Angelo took a bite of the strawberry, sucking out the juices and closing his eyes, throwing his head back to expose his long, slender neck as he chewed.  
  
"And you can't keep attacking innocent humans, either. Of course, from what you explained about the UUVA, that shouldn't be a pro-bluh-!" he stumbled over the word as Angelo impatiently popped a ripe strawberry into his mouth. He tried to scold the vampire and keep on-topic around the strawberry in his mouth, but found himself hardening at Angelo's antics.  
  
The vampire, with his champagne glass in one hand, pushed Donnie slowly back with the other. He straddled the turtle and took a gulp of his champagne, before setting the glass on the bedside table.  
  
Donnie chewed his strawberry and took a drink of champagne. "We can't go off on tangents, here." he said around his mouthful, as Angelo pulled his shirt up over his head, exposing his muscular chest. "This problem is serious, and we can't afford to-"  
  
"Donnie? This is Leo. Come in, Donnie." Leo's voice crackled over the walkie-talkie, causing Donnie to jump.  
  
Angelo frowned at the device as he pulled off his pants.  
  
Donnie quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie, swallowing the strawberry he had grabbed, nearly choking in the process, "Donnie here." he coughed.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"er, just fine."  
  
"Did you tell him?"  
  
Angelo was now peppering Donnie's neck and collarbone with kisses as he pulled off the turtle's mask, and began working on his shoulder-strap and belt.  
  
"Um, yeah, I did." He tried to swat Angelo's hands away with his elbow, both hands being occupied. The vampire would have no such thing.  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
"Oh, it's fine with him. He- JEEZUS!" Donnie exclaimed as Angelo suddenly thrust his hand between Donnie's legs.  
  
"Donnie? Donnie, are you all right? What are you doing?"  
  
"I. uh. oh shit."  
  
"We're gonna fool around." Growled Angelo as he fluttered his fingers lightly along Donnie's member.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Uh. er, Angelo says 'hi'."  
  
"Did he say that you were-"  
  
"I gotta go now!"  
  
"But-"  
  
"Talk to you later! Bye!" he cut off Leo hurriedly. "You're trying to make my brothers think I'm some sort of gay nymphomaniac, aren't you?" Donnie said to Angelo in an accusatory voice.  
  
"What's wrong with that? You act like that's a bad thing!"  
  
Donnie took a last swallow of his champagne and, pulling himself on his stomach by his arms, made for the edge of the bed. "This is a waste of time! I should be out there right now, helping mike, Leo and Raph! Not fooling around with-"  
  
"heya, Donnie-dude, ya there?"  
  
"W-what?" Donnie grabbed the walkie-talkie again and pressed the 'receive' button, "Mikey?"  
  
"Yeah. What the hell are you up to? Leo's practically having a seizure!"  
  
In the background Donnie could hear someone, presumably Leo, ranting about leeches and corpses. "Look, I really can't talk right now."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Angelo stuck out his bottom lip and pouted for a total of three seconds. He then smiled mischievously and began groaning and moaning, the obscene sounds getting progressively louder.  
  
"uuuh, Angelo and I are. uh."  
  
"YES!!" Angelo suddenly screamed.  
  
"W-we're discussing a plan!"  
  
"Is that him in the background?"  
  
Angelo flung himself flat on the bed and began writhing as he continued his vocalizations "yes. yes. oh god, yes!"  
  
"No! Of course that's not him! It's. er. his neighbors."  
  
"Neighbors?"  
  
"oooooh, yes, right there, yeah, harder, *harder*!"  
  
"They're newlyweds. I reeeally have to go!"  
  
"Donnie, are you sure-"  
  
"I'm fine!" Donnie suddenly felt uncontrollable laughter bubbling up from his stomach. His voice cracked with the effort to suppress it, "look, I'll meet you back at the den tomorrow morning."  
  
"What'll you be doing until then?"  
  
Donnie bit on his lip as his abdomen shook. How the hell did his life get this crazy? Here he was, a mutant turtle with the intelligence of a human, talking to his brother, of all people, while a member of the "new minority" made loud, sexual noises at him. "What'll I be doing?"  
  
"SHAGGING!" squealed Angelo.  
  
"Jogging?"  
  
"Talking! Just. talking. Look, I really gotta go. Bye" he pushed the 'end' button, and promptly hurled the walkie-talkie at Angelo, who ducked it and placed a deft peck on Donnie's lips. "You ass!" he tried his best to look annoyed but the expression dissolved in his laughter.  
  
"What about it? ya like it?"  
  
"I'd only be encouraging you if I said 'yes'."  
  
"But that's the truth, isn't it?"  
  
"No."  
  
Angelo prowled toward Donnie on his hands and knees, a predatory grin on his face. Donnie backed up against the headboard and leaned his head into Angelo's lingering kiss. "Time to see what's going on downstairs." Angelo said in a husky voice.  
  
As he began to slide down Donnie's plastron, Donnie sat up and grabbed his shoulders, "wait."  
  
Angelo straightened on his arms and gave Donnie a questioning look.  
  
Donnie looked into Angelo's eyes. This vampire, this creature who, at first glance, seemed so evil, was the first one to make Donnie feel like something other than some mutant. He made Donnie feel attractive, sexy even. What were the chances of that? "I want to go all the way."  
  
Angelo opened and closed his mouth several times. For the first time, Donnie felt he finally surprised the creature. Angelo finally sat back on his heels and smiled. He reached out his hand and brushed the side of Donnie's face, "my dear renaissance artist, a hundred sirens could not tempt me near as much as you do. Why do you want to go all the way?"  
  
Donnie paused. He finally leaned forward, with a surprisingly determined expression on his face, "because I can. I haven't before, and I want to."  
  
"As much as it rends my heart, not to mention my loins, to say this, I don't think it's a good idea."  
  
Donnie scooted away from him, scowling, "why? Because I'm 'the nerd?' because I'm so innocent and naïve that it's inconceivable for someone like me to have done it? Are you afraid I'll break? Do you think I can't handle it?"  
  
Angelo moved up beside him and put his arms around him, his breath brushing Donnie's cheek, "don't think that my decision has to do with your 'toughness factor'. I think you could handle dozens of situations that your brothers would balk at, being kidnapped by a horny immortal not the least of which, but I don't think that now is that time, and I don't think that I am that person."  
  
Donnie sighed, "well, you're probably the only chance I'll have."  
  
Angelo placed a mock aghast hand on his breast, "'only chance'? My dear turtle, if you keep swinging that tail of yours the way you do, I'd be very surprised if you didn't eventually get several proposals.  
  
"I don't get out much."  
  
"Yeah, neither do I."  
  
"But you-" Donnie was cut off by Angelo's feverish kiss, this time it was deep and encompassing. Donnie's frustration melted away in the heat and spicy taste of Angelo's mouth.  
  
************  
  
Donnie awoke to the taste of Angelo's lips upon his own. He sighed and opened his eyes. Angelo was bent over him. He looked toward the window: it was still dark outside. He rolled over, "its still nighttime." He grumbled, pulling the blankets over himself.  
  
"'What light through yonder window breaks?'"  
  
"hungh?" Donnie opened one eye and squinted at Angelo.  
  
" 'it is the east, and Donatello is the sun!' so get up, you should get back to your home before light."  
  
"Shakespeare isn't going to motivate me any more than a cup of strong coffee."  
  
"No time. Sun's coming up soon." Angelo grabbed one of Donnie's arms and hauled him upright. He tossed Donnie's belt, mask, bo, wrist, knee and elbow pads to him.  
  
Donnie sighed in resignation and pulled them on. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and walked to the balcony doors, throwing them open, allowing the cold morning air to slap the life into his face and limbs. "I don't know how I'm going to explain off this one to my family." he sighed.  
  
"Tell them the truth." Angelo came up behind him and wrapped his arms about Donnie's shoulders.  
  
"Are you crazy?"  
  
"Don't go into intimate detail. Just tell them that you spent the night with me."  
  
"They aren't going to like that."  
  
"They can't ignore who you are. They're your family and they love you. It may be hard for them to accept who you are, but give them time to adjust to the idea. I think they care about you enough to make an effort to accept you without trying to change you."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"I've been around for a long time, and I've seen, and been in, a lot of different relationships. It's clear to me the kind of bond you have with your family. Something that strong is rare, and precious, and I don't think any of them would want to jeopardize that bond."  
  
Donnie turned to Angelo and smiled, "wow. That was incredibly eloquent."  
  
Angelo shrugged, "who'da thunk?" he planted a kiss on Donnie's lips, which the turtle returned in full, and pointed to Donnie's rope, which still dangled from the roof where the grappling hook was secured. Donnie grabbed the rope and began climbing hand-over-hand, the graying darkness making the lines between one object and the next less distinct, and the whole world less real.  
  
****************  
  
*so, my pretty angel, you've taken another lover.* the strange figure hunched on the rooftop, unconsciously in the manner that his object of interest adopted when watching going's-on without being noticed. He watched the familiar figure of Angelo standing on the balcony, holding that. that *freak* around the shoulders. They were talking, Angelo pressing his lips against the thing's green skin. *you taunt me, lover. You take this deformed one into your bed, knowing you will make me jealous. You still want me, don't you? yes. yes, that's what this is all about. You're playing the game.Do you plan on taking this creature above the clouds, then reaching into his chest to crush his very heart? Will you slowly drain the life from him as you make love? Will his tears excite you?* the stranger watched as the deformed creature grasped a rope dangling from the roof, and pulled himself up on it. *you send him away. you send him to me. are you prepared, angel? Are you prepared for me, for my power? I think not. but I know you still need me. you always did. so you send this thing away, you send him to me, and I will take him as you have. we will feast together, lover.*  
  
Donatello only had time to gasp before he was limp and unconscious in a stranger's arms. Before spiriting the turtle away, the dark form dropped a note, which spiraled down to settle on Angelo's vacant balcony. He leapt away with his prize, insane laughter threatening to tear from his throat and shake the foundations of the city. 


	5. Dawn of Twilight

Midnight Snacks Ch. 5: Dawn of Twilight  
  
By Tinselcat  
  
Rated: R  
  
***********  
  
The door to the den burst open, banging loudly on the wall, nearly ripping from its hinges. Leo's katana seemed to miraculously appear in his hands as he stood up and faced the figure in the doorway, agility of both habit and circumstance giving him an almost unnatural speed.  
  
"What do you want?" he growled.  
  
Angelo, hair hanging in tangles over his burning eyes, turned to Leo. His face was a mask of pure emotions, a frothing, burning jumble of rage and terror. "Where is the rat?" his voice was hoarse. Leo noticed a crushed piece of paper in one of his hands.  
  
"Why? What's going on? Where's Donnie?"  
  
Angelo snarled at him, but strode forward. Immediately, Raph was standing in front of him, a sai cocked at his chest. "I don't think so, buddy."  
  
Angelo's free hand clamped in a cold, vice-like grip onto Raph's neck. Raph made strangled sounds of surprise as his feet left the floor, and his face was pulled to within an inch of the vampire's. Cold, scentless breath blew over his face. The eyes he looked into were wild, as if cold flames burned behind the wide irises.  
  
"What has happened?" Splinter's voice cut through the tension like a knife.  
  
Raph was released, and tumbled, gasping, to the floor.  
  
Angelo strode over to the rat, who, even standing before someone nearly twice his height, maintained an aura of regal calm, reluctant to betray the sudden icy feeling that enclosed his heart at the sight of the vampire's face.  
  
"Donatello is gone." Angelo thrust the piece of paper toward Splinter.  
  
"What the hell did you do to him? Where is he?" Leo's voice cracked as he yelled.  
  
Angelo spun around, red-tinted froth beginning to show at the edges of his mouth, "do you think I would be fucking standing here, fucking talking to you if I knew where he fucking was?!" he practically screamed.  
  
Raph, recovering quickly, stood up and strode to the vampire, thrusting his face as close to the other's as he could get, evenly meeting Angelo's wild eyes with his own piercing stare, "if he's hurt. if he's hurt in any way, I don't care how old or powerful you are, I'll fucking kill you. I'll hunt you around the globe if I have to, but I'll kill you."  
  
Angelo's steady stare faltered for a moment. he took a step back, as if, against all likelihood, he was afraid.  
  
"What's going on?" Mikey walked in the door, followed closely by April. They both stopped over the threshold and stared at the proceedings dumbly.  
  
"Donatello has been taken." all eyes turned to Splinter, who was slowly lowering himself into a chair, his eyes staring ahead of him, the note clutched in his fingers.  
  
"Kidnapped," Said Angelo, managing to regain his lost composure, as he turned to Mikey and April, "by the same person whose been murdering those allies of the U.U.V.A.."  
  
Splinter held out the note toward April, who moved forward and took it. at first glance, she recognized the scrawled handwriting from the wall of the latest murder, which she had investigated, then came to inform the turtles of it. the message, "killing is our nature", had been written in blood on the wall above the drained body of a lawyer at a prestigious firm.  
  
Her eyes flicked over the letters, unnoticing the three turtles reading over her shoulder.  
  
*Dearest and respected Angelo,  
  
you know who I am, and you know what I want. I have him, and I will not release him. You will return to me, if you wish to see this one again. Drink of my blood, and eat of my flesh. We will be one, again. Even if the strange one's life must be the sacrifice to appease god, to absolve you of what you've become. If you are not too far gone, you will find me. I will wait for you.*  
  
She sighed and handed the note back to Splinter. "there was another murder last night. I just came from the scene. It looks like this guy is centered around a certain area. Business district."  
  
"What was the victim's name?" asked Angelo.  
  
"Emily McDonnell."  
  
"Shit."  
  
"Do you know this woman?" asked Splinter.  
  
"Yeah. She was the organizer of the human sections of New York's U.U.V.A. chapter. Her brother is a vampire."  
  
"Perhaps you should tell us who this murderer is, and how you know him."  
  
Angelo turned to Splinter. He sighed and looked at the floor. He then looked up and seated himself opposite Splinter. "His name is Claude. I met him in 1845. He was. different then. I'd never met anyone like him. He was an artist and a dreamer. He saw things differently. It was like he could see to the heart of something without even trying." Angelo leaned his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor as if it might tell him that he need not go on. "I spent about a year with him, hiding what I was. Finally, I told him. He'd had his suspicions; all I did was confirm them. I told him that I couldn't bear to watch him waste away while I remained young and alive. I told him I would leave. unless he wanted to join me. join me in immortality." Angelo trailed off, his eyes unfocused. When Leo was about to say something, he continued, "For a little while, it was perfect. We were together, we traveled, we saw the world. But then. he changed. it was as if the moment he realized what power he could wield, it corrupted him. *I* corrupted him. From his new station, he stopped seeing humans as people, and saw them as insects. As life forms too low to bother with worrying about their life or death. I suppose it was less real malice as it was. indifference. He saw humans the same way humans see ants. Do you feel guilty if you step on one?"  
  
"but. he *was* a human once." Leo tried to work out such a train of thought in his head, "how could he stop seeing them like people?"  
  
"I guess he realized that they were people, and that they're deaths would cause grief. but. it didn't matter to him anymore. That's what makes a vampire into a murderer. When they lose all awareness of what it is to be a human. Then, their conscience doesn't extend that far."  
  
"Wait," said Leo, "if you're older than this guy, aren't you more powerful? I mean, it's not like my knowlage of vampires is extensive, but I kinda assumed."  
  
Angelo nodded, "I thought someone was bound to ask that. The truth is, I'm not sure how it happened. I should have been able to sense him coming, especially since he's someone who was so close to me for such a long time. I should have sensed it. only a very powerful vampire would be able to completely shield himself from other vampires' 'mental radars', so to speak. Somehow, he acquired such power as to be able to do that."  
  
"How could he come by such power?" Splinter asked.  
  
"Powers like that can be bestowed upon a less powerful vampire from a master vampire."  
  
"like the girl, kali?"  
  
"Yeah. I have a feeling that Claude was helped along by a certain master vampire, known by the cute nickname of 'Lucifer'. He and kali have been enemies since long before my time. it's never been clear to me why. I think if Lucifer had any oppertunity to get at Kali, even indirectly by targeting her children, he would do it in an instant. He would have nothing to lose by giving Claude these kinds of powers, and winning his loyalty."  
  
The room was silent after Angelo finished, each with there own thoughts. Raphael finally stood up, "you fucking asshole. Donnie could be killed because of you."  
  
Surprisingly, Mikey spoke in Angelo's defense: "look, it's not like he wanted this, Raph."  
  
"oh, so now you're on his side? Now you want to get friendly with someone who, for all we know, could be working with this murderer?"  
  
Angelo glared at Raphael, but said nothing.  
  
"Fuck that." Growled Raph, "April, you said these murders are centered around the north end? Well, I'm not gonna sit on my ass while Donnie's out there. I'm leaving."  
  
"do you really think you have a chance against Claude?" Angelo sneered at Raph.  
  
"I think I have a better chance at beating him than I would with you at my back." Raph opened the door, stepped out and slammed it behind him.  
  
Wordlessly, Leo gave Mikey a hard look, and followed Raph out.  
  
The room was once again silent. Mikey sighed and finally spoke, "look, I don't know where Donnie is, or how powerful this Claude guy is, or even if my instincts on this matter are accurate, or going to get me killed. But, I feel in my gut that you. you care about Donnie,"  
  
Angelo raised his eyes to meet Mikey's.  
  
"I think that you're the one who's most likely to find him, and be able to help him, though my brothers don't agree. I just want to do what's best for Donnie." Mikey stood up and walked toward Angelo, finally stopping in front of where the vampire sat, "what do I have to do?"  
  
Angelo looked at Mikey, studying his determined expression. He gave a half- smile and stood up. "Get your weapons and follow me.  
  
April leaned toward Splinter, whispering her concern in his ear, "do you really think it's safe for Mikey to be around this guy?"  
  
Splinter shook his head, "I don't know what to think, child. I don't know what to think."  
  
********************  
  
Donnie opened his eyes. A swell of pain engulfed his head. He moaned, and closed his eyes. He opened them again and took in his surroundings as his vision came into focus. It looked like he was in some sort of empty storeroom, or warehouse. The room was large, with large windows at intervals, through which reached precious little light from the streetlamps below. Large, square columns held up the ceiling. Gradually, Donnie realized that he was sitting up against one of them. he groaned and tried to lean forward. He found that he couldn't move. Momentary panic siezed him. He twisted his wrists and found that they were secured behind the column on which he leaned. The cord was strong and tight, biting into his flesh. Another bound his neck to the column, almost choking him.  
  
"so, the little tart is awake." a singsong voice came from behind him, "I did you over well, I think, you've been out for more than 12 hours."  
  
"w-who the hell are you?" Donnie craned his neck, the cord chafing his skin, to see the speaker.  
  
"I'm the one who's going to bring justice to the underground society. I'm the one who will give them penance. I will hear their confessions. And you will cleanse them of their evil deeds."  
  
Suddenly, a face thrust itself into Donnie's. The turtle's breath caught as rank air was blown over his face.  
  
"I am Claude." His hair was dark brown, cropped short, close to his head. He had high cheekbones and a square chin. His eyes were an intense, icy blue, so empty and devoid of anything that Donnie could begin to relate to or understand, he gasped in shock.  
  
"What do you want with me?" Donnie was all too aware that his voice shook as he spoke.  
  
Claude delicately bit his bottom lip, and ran his long-nailed fingers down Donnie's shoulders and over his biceps. "Oh, it's not you I want. Not really."  
  
"Angelo." Donnie breathed. "You're trying to lure Angelo here."  
  
Claude patted the top of Donnie's head, as he would an obedient dog, "clever boy, you deserve and ice cream." To Donnie's immense relief, Claude stood up and strolled over to a table, on which lay a disturbing assortment of weapons, as well as several unused syringes and two empty wineglasses. It didn't take a brain like Donnie's to figure out what they were intended to contain.  
  
"Y-you can't win, you know. My brothers. they'll find you." Donnie stuck out his chin in defiance, "they'll kill you."  
  
"Oh, come now," Claude removed a hunting knife with a cruelly curved blade, which glistened with razor-sharpness, "you don't really believe that, do you? Foolish mortal, with my increased powers, I can see inside your thoughts. your desires." he stood before Donnie, and knelt, "I know how it would just tear you apart to see your first lover drain the life from you." he rested the tip of the blade lightly on Donnie's shoulder "poor. poor boy" he drew the knife savagely down Donnie's shoulder, leaving a long slash which extended down his bicep. Drops of blood began to well in the cut and slowly make their painstaking way down his arm.  
  
Donnie bit his lip to keep from crying out. The knife came down again, biting into his leg. A strangled, pained moan escaped his throat.  
  
"How do you lure someone in denial out of his self-destructive personal fairyland and into the reality of his existence and the merging of his past and his future into one, godly, ecstatic present?"  
  
"You draw blood." Donnie half-sobbed the words as he realized what lay in store for him.  
  
*****************  
  
"How do you know he's there?" Mikey whispered, as he looked at the building in question, though he had no difficulty believing that the shabby building on the waterfront, adjacent to a garbage dump, housed Angelo's formidable enemy.  
  
"Claude is no fool," Angelo replied, crouching next to Mikey on the rooftop the next block over, "he centered his killings around the north end on purpose, to lead you and your family off the right track. He wants anyone who might interfere with him out of the way."  
  
"Is there any danger for them?"  
  
"He might post a few flunkies up there to keep their attention occupied, but if they deal with minor-class, dime-a-dozen underground social climbers the same way you three dealt with me those weeks ago." he gave Mikey a reassuring smile that somehow looked out of place on his features, "they'll be just fine."  
  
Mikey nodded, then turned back to the dark building, "so, what's the plan?"  
  
Angelo sighed, "the plan is: I go in. alone. You wait outside the door. I take care of Claude, you rush in and get Donnie out of there when I call you."  
  
"waaaaiiiiit a second, you want me to just wait around while that guy uses Donnie to get to you? I don't think so. No way. You distract the bad dude, I rush Donnie out. You eliminate him. You leave. We meet back at the O.K. corral and everything is hunky-dorey."  
  
"No. Everything is not hunky-dorey. If you go in there, he'll kill you. There's no distracting this guy, his powers exceed my own, and even I would be able to handle that with a minimum of difficulty. No, we're on his turf. This is his game. We play by his rules."  
  
"What if he wins?"  
  
Angelo said nothing, the silence unsettling them both with mutual uncertainty.  
  
"What if he hurts Donnie?"  
  
"If hurting your brother was on his agenda, he's already done that." Angelo decided against telling Mikey of the faint whiff of blood he caught on the breeze, or of the passing sound of a heartbeat, like the tones of a distant drummer being carried on the wind.  
  
"What if he kills him?"  
  
"he won't. he's an impulsive bastard, but he knows that Donnie is useless to him dead."  
  
"Alright. Let's go." Mikey started forward.  
  
Angelo put a hand on his shoulder before the ninja could leap to the next building, "remember, you wait outside until I call your name. No matter what you hear, or how bad it sounds, don't come in. understand?"  
  
Mikey nodded.  
  
"One more thing. Thanks."  
  
Mikey allowed himself a half-smile, before the odd pair was covering the rest of the rooftops between themselves and their goal.  
  
****************  
  
"Knock knock." whispered Claude, as he stared at the door, a blood-covered knife clutched I his fingers.  
  
The door flew open, banging against the wall. Angelo slammed it closed behind him and strode confidently into the room, "Claude, don't you think you should know better than to-" He staggered back, as the full force of what lay, bound before him, hit him like a hot, red tidal wave. He reached out his hand to steady himself on a column. He shook his head, strands hair falling from his ponytail to hang in his face. He opened his eyes and looked at Donnie. The shape was almost indiscernible underneath the blood. It ran from semi-deep cuts on his head, arms, legs, sides and neck. The gag thrust into his mouth and tied behind his head was already soaked through, appearing as if even his mouth was bleeding. His eyes were half-closed and unfocused. He didn't move.  
  
"I've prepared a present for you, my own. Just the way you like it: young and fresh. Isn't that right?"  
  
Angelo edged back, pressing his back against the wall, as far from Donnie as he could get. His eyes fixated upon the turtle. His heart, pumping with borrowed-blood, sped up. Although he didn't need breath, his chest rapidly rose and fell as he filled his lungs, in an attempt to gather his strength.  
  
"Marvelous, isn't he? I think I've begun to see what you see in him. He's cute when he's bleeding." Claude crouched next to Donnie and planted a light, almost chaste kiss on his bloodied cheek.  
  
"Let him go." Angelo's voice commanded an authority that he didn't feel. He had expected that Donnie would be "prepared" for him, but he hadn't been prepared for the pure amount of blood that was suddenly presented to him. He felt as if a long claw had gripped his mind, and was pulling him toward his temptation. To give in would mean a veritable paradise: ecstasy, pleasure, satiation, an endless instant of suddenly becoming everything one possibly could. To resist was pain, pure and endless, pounding, pulling, wrenching the core of his very heart.  
  
"Let him go?" Claude smirked and stood up, gesturing at Donnie's prone form, "Come let him go yourself. I won't stop you. Simply come over here and cut his bonds, I'll even give you this knife to do it with. Come on. No one likes a pushover."  
  
Angelo stared at Donnie, his eyes wide and wild with terror. He pressed his lips together, to prevent his tongue from hungrily licking them.  
  
Claude hunkered down once more. He slipped his arm around Donnie's sticky shoulders and slowly ran his tongue up the side of Donnie's face. The turtle blinked and shuddered, his head moving ever so slightly as far away from the vampire's grinning face as he could get. "Aren't you curious?" Claude murmered to him.  
  
Donnie managed a growl.  
  
"You see that pitiful, cowering heap over there?" Said Claude, in the tone of a friend revealing a wonderful secret, "What do you suppose he's afraid of? Why doesn't he come over and cut you loose, hmm?"  
  
Slowly, Donnie's eyes rotated to look at his tormentor.  
  
Claude spoke to Donnie, his lips brushing the turtle's skin, but looked at Angelo the whole while. "Because," the voice was barely above a whisper, yet filled the empty space in the room, "it's not me he's afraid of. Oh no. It's you."  
  
An indiscernible sound escaped Donnie's throat.  
  
"That's right. You see," Claude turned back to Donnie, his tone light and conversational, "the closer he gets to you, the more difficult it is for him to resist this divine blood of yours. If he comes any closer, he'll have to give in to the monster within. He'll have to kill you. It's not a matter of choice. He hasn't fed yet tonight, so the temptation is simply. overwhelming." Claude stood up and stepped toward Angelo. "Do it." he hissed, "Take his life. Give in to what you know is right." he thrust his face an inch from Angelo's. His voice became a tense, excited whisper, quivering with suppressed anticipation, "he is the sacrifice? Don't you see? All is forgiven, once he dies. His blood is the currency that will pay our way into heaven. He will die for our sins, and we will once again be pure beings, pure in our lust for blood and evil. Take him, Angelo, make love to him if you must, but take his life. for us."  
  
Angelo met Claude's eyes. Behind them burned a cold light, one that pierced him to the core. It seemed like a millennia since he'd seen warmth behind those eyes. His gaze shifted back to where Donnie slumped against the column. His blood. it was so sweet. like the best of wines. He could see himself wrapping Donatello in a warm embrace, taking away all the pain of his existence as an exile, let the darkness of death enfold him, and keep him safe forever. isn't that what he was supposed to do? Keep safe the ones he cared about?  
  
He took an unsteady step forward. Then another. He hardly felt his feet make contact with the cold floor before he was kneeling before Donnie. The scent of the blood surrounded him, enfolded him, as if it were its own separate entity, begging to be consumed. With fingers that trembled slightly, he reached up and untied the gag, and removed it from Donnie's mouth.  
  
"What say you?" he whispered, running his fingers lightly across Donnie's lips.  
  
With obvious difficulty, Donnie raised his head to look at Angelo. He opened his mouth, and only a light rasp came out. He coughed painfully, then spoke, his voice hoarse, grating through his throat, "I. I don't. I don't want to die, Angelo." tears stung the corners of his eyes as he realized that the edges of his vision were already darkening, "I'm not ready. I can't die with. without seeing them. one more time." the tears finally freed themselves and ran down his cheeks, turning red with blood as they made their meandering way toward his chin, "I haven't said goodbye. I haven't told them that I love them. I need to see my family, Angelo." a sob ripped from his throat as Angelo lowered his head, and he felt the sharp prick on his neck as the vampire's fangs made a fresh wound. "Please don't. please don't kill me." Donnie whispered as he felt his blood slowly leaving him, and the cold embrace he was held in slowly become warmer. His eyelids fluttered, begging him to close them. He forced himself to stay awake, even those dark corners of his vision began to spread. So concentrated was he on staying awake that he barely realized it when Angelo stopped feeding.  
  
Through his failing eyes, he saw the vampire stand up, and face Claude.  
  
"Drink of my blood and eat of my flesh." the latter smirked.  
  
Angelo, his skin once more a healthy tan, a spark of fire behind the pupils of his eyes, strode forward, "you know what, Claude?" he stopped, his nose almost touching the other's.  
  
"What is it, lover?" Claude grinned back.  
  
"You really do have a feeble grasp of the bible." his lips peeled back to reveal his teeth, catching what little light entered the room. In a blur of motion, his head darted forward, and those teeth sunk into the flesh of Claude's face.  
  
Claude screamed in shock and rage, bracing his hands against Angelo's chest and pushing out. Angelo flew across the room, his teeth trailing bits of muscle. He impacted with one of the columns, which cracked in the middle, almost buckling.  
  
Claude, the bare bone of his skull visible beneath the flesh of his face, rushed to the table, picking up a stoppered flask. He tore off the cork, his crazy grin made all the more gruesome by the blood spattered across his face, "I never come unprepared, lover!" he cackled, his voice cracking. He darted forward, before Angelo could react, and flung the clear, liquid contents of the flask toward Angelo. The vampire screamed and clutched the side of his face and neck where the liquid touched him. The skin blistered and smoked.  
  
"How divine are you, Angelo? How can an angel despise the pureness of holy water?"  
  
Angelo stood, taking his hands from his face, revealing the scorched, red, ragged flesh beneath. He roared wordlessly and flew forward. His hands connected with Claude's stomach. He growled as he tore at the soft, vulnerable flesh. Claude screeched and grabbed his knife, plunging it into Angelo's back, and drawing it downward. Angelo reached up, grabbing the front of Claude's throat. He drew himself upward until their faces were level. Claude continued to screech and claw at Angelo's chest. "Next time," Angelo growled, "send me a 'thinking of you' card!"  
  
His hand convulsed around the flesh of Claude's throat. He tore his hand away with a wet ripping sound, followed by a snap.  
  
Claude's eyes widened until there was a full circle of white around the ice blue irises. He gurlged, his hands clawing at the space his adam's apple once occupied. He fell to his knees.  
  
Angelo lunged forward one last time, plunging his free hand into the chest of his former lover. He ripped it out, his fist closed around a blood- covered muscle.  
  
"Michealangelo. You can come in now."  
  
Mikey cautiously pushed the door open. In the opressive silence, the hinges creaked slightly. Angelo stood over the bloody, motionless body of Claude, two unfamiliar objects clutched in his hands. It took Mikey a moment to realize that the oblong shape, trailing tubes was a crushed heart, and the long, limp tube was the dead vampire's esophagus.  
  
Mikey fell to his knees and retched. He stood up, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. Angelo neither spoke nor moved as Mikey walked past him. The turtle reached the still form of his brother, forcing down his tears, for Donnie's sake. He reached out his hand to press his fingers against Donnie's throat, searching for his big brother's slowing, hollow heartbeat.  
  
*************  
  
Donnie moaned, his head lolling to one side. His entire body felt heavy, as if his limbs were filled with lead. He felt a cool hand brush his brow, and gently lay a cool terrycloth on it. His eyes fluttered open. Angelo's face came into view. The vampire smiled gently.  
  
"What. I thought I was." Donnie rasped.  
  
"I'm truly sorry, but it was the only way I could save you. Without having fed, I didn't stand a chance against Claude, the one who captured you. By feeding on your blood, I was at my peak strength. I'm sorry I had to bring you to death's door. I didn't mean to go that far."  
  
"What happened to. him.?"  
  
"He's dead."  
  
"What happened to your face?"  
  
Angelo patted his healing cheek lightly with his palm, "oh, 'tis nothing, I got hit with a little holy water, nothing I can't handle, really. I just hope it doesn't leave a mark. Holy water can to horrors to a vampire's complexion."  
  
Donnie smiled weakly. "Why did you risk so much for me?" he whispered.  
  
Angelo kissed him on the forehead, "you're just too cute to let go."  
  
"That's not. that's." Donnie's eyes began to get heavy once more.  
  
"Rest. You need to get your strength back."  
  
"I don' wanna." Donnie's words trailed off as he closed his eyes and slipped into a deep sleep.  
  
Angelo stood and exited Donnie's small space, cramped with machines and random inventions, that passed as his room.  
  
Mikey lounged beside the doorway. "So," he said as Angelo passed him, falling in step with the vampire, "why *did* you risk going up against such a force to save Donnie? I mean, you could have split the entire scene without a scratch, and got away clean."  
  
"I couldn't have done that. It's the craziest thing, but I've fallen in love with your big brother, can you believe it?" Angelo chuckled as if he found the fact immensely amusing.  
  
Mikey looked at him, his head cocked to one side, "yeah. I can believe that."  
  
**************  
  
Several days later, Donnie finally came all the way awake and aware, feeling strong enough to walk about unaided. That morning, before Mikey came in to present his breakfast with the usual flourish of a napkin and a couple verses from "The Barber of Seville", he stood up, shakily at first, wrapped a blanket around his thin shoulders and, steadying himself on the wall, walked into the living room.  
  
Leo looked up sharply from the sofa as he heard Donnie's footsteps. He dropped his newspaper and rushed over, "hey, Donnie, what're you doing up? You should be resting." Despite his scolding, he gently led Donnie to the sofa and sat him down.  
  
"I'm almost better, Leo. Give me a few more days and I'll be running this town!"  
  
Leo laughed, more in relief than anything else, and Splinter, walking into the room followed by Raph, smiled. "I see our patient has returned to the living." Splinter said, seating himself on the other side of Donnie.  
  
"Hey, who's for muffins? Donnie!" Mikey exclaimed as he strode in, wearing an apron that proclaimed 'kiss the cook', with an oven mitt on each hand.  
  
"Hey Mike."  
  
"How're ya feelin' dude?"  
  
"Like I've been beaten all over with a sledgehammer. But aside from that, I'm okay."  
  
"coolness. Muffins anyone?"  
  
Murmurs of assent came from all directions. "Right-o!" Mikey scrambled back into the kitchen to retrieve breakfast.  
  
"I've got to admit that I came out here with an ulterior motive." Donnie sighed. "No one has told me yet what happened to Angelo. So tell me already."  
  
Raph's expression became decidedly dark. "Who cares?" he muttered.  
  
"Angelo left the evening after. after he and Mike brought you back. He said he'd call to check up on you, but we haven't heard from him since."  
  
"Did he say where he was going?"  
  
"No. He took a late flight out of the New York International Airport. That was a week ago."  
  
Donnie nodded wordlessly, disappointment sinking into his gut "so, you've heard nothing?"  
  
"I wouldn't say that." Mikey walked in, a plate of steaming muffins in his hands. He set it on the coffee table, then reached his hand into the apron pocked and withdrew an envelope. "This came for you yesterday." he met Raph and Leo's accusing stares "look, don't tell me you guys wouldn't try to read it if you knew."  
  
Donnie quickly grabbed the envelope, eagerly tearing it open. His eyes traveled from side to side as he read the text. He smiled, "Angelo's in Europe. London, to be exact. He's touring the continent with Kali and another one of her children. He says he'll call sometime."  
  
"Are you looking forward to that call?" Mikey asked him, softly, his tone gently implying Donnie of the consequence such an interaction might have with the members of their family who had difficulty accepting the who, what and why of Donnie's situation.  
  
Donnie met Mike's eyes, unwaveringly, "yes. I am. Whatever it means."  
  
************* 


End file.
